Patient, Parent and Guardian Rights and Responsibilities
Rights l Concerns | Responsibilities | Bill of Rights l Definitions
Respect for individual dignity is fundamental to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's mission, goals and function. We respect the rights and responsibilities of our patients and their families.
Rights of Patients, Parents and Guardians
Patients and parents / guardians have the right:
- To have a family member or representative of your choice and your child's physician notified promptly of your child's admission to the hospital
- To be treated considerately and respectfully regardless of your race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, cultural background, economic status, education or illness
- To know the names of your child's physicians and nurses and the role they play in your child's care
- To be told by the physician, in words you can understand, about your child's illness, treatment and prospects for recovery
- To receive as much information as you need in order to give or refuse consent for any proposed treatment
- To have an active role in decisions about your child's medical care, including the development and implementation of the care plan, which shall include the management of pain as appropriate
- To make an informed decision regarding care including, to the extent allowed by law, the refusal of care
- To privacy in medical care and treatment; this includes the right to be informed why individuals who are not directly involved in your child's care are present when your child is being treated or discussed and personal privacy in general
- To receive care in a safe setting, free from all forms of abuse, harrassment or corporal punishment
- To be free from restraint or seclusion used to coerce, discipline, retaliate or for convenience; to have trained staff safely implement permitted restraint or seclusion
- To confidential treatment of all communications and records regarding care received at Cincinnati Children's; to access information in the medical record in a reasonable time frame
- To be aware and informed if Cincinnati Children's feels that legal action is necessary to provide treatment for your child
- To receive a clear explanation of the outcome of any treatments or procedures where the outcomes differ significantly from the anticipated outcomes
- To expect a response to any reasonable request for help in meeting special needs
- To request assistance with discharge planning
- To remove your child from the hospital even when the physicians advise you not to, to the extent permitted by law; if you choose to remove you child from the hospital, you will be required to sign a form that relieves Cincinnati Children's of responsibility for your child's welfare
- To know about any connections between Cincinnati Children's and other institutions, as far as your child's care is concerned
- To consent or refuse to participate in any research project
- To know your child's continuing health care needs after discharge from the hospital or outpatient service
- To know the charges for services provided, to examine your medical care bills and to receive an explanation of charges
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Patient Care Concerns
At Cincinnati Children's, patient care and safety is our priority. All employees at Cincinnati Children's pledge to uphold our Customer Service Standards. If you have any questions about patient rights and responsibilities, please call a patient / family advocate at 513-636-4700.
Cincinnati Children's is accredited by the Joint Commission. If you feel that your concern isn't being resolved by us, please contact the Joint Commission through their web site.
Patients or their representatives who wish to lodge a grievance with the state health department may contact:
Ohio Department of Health 246 North High Street Columbus, OH 43215 Phone: 800-342-0553 TDD: 614-752-6490 Email: hccomplaints@odh.ohio.gov
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Responsibilities of Patients, Parents and Guardians
Patients and parents / guardians have the responsibility:
- To provide, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about all matters relating to your child's health
- To the extent allowed by law, to both formulate advance directives and expect the hospital staff and practitioners who provide care will comply with these directives
- To be considerate of other patients and staff and to encourage your child's visitors to be considerate as well
- To pay for services provided, and / or to provide necessary information to process insurance claims related to your child's hospital and outpatient service bills, and to plan for payment of your child's health care bills as soon as possible
- To discuss with a financial counselor the possibility of financial aid to help in the payment of your child's hospital and outpatient bills in cases of financial hardship (contact our financial counselor at 513-636-0201)
- To follow the treatment plan recommended by the practitioner and agreed upon for your child's care
- To follow Cincinnati Children's policies and procedures concerning patient care and conduct
- To seek information, to the extent possible, from health care providers by asking any questions necessary to reach an understanding of your child's health problem(s) and the treatment plan developed by you and the practitioner
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A Bill of Rights for Children
When you are in our hospital, you and your family have the right to:
- Be treated with kindness
- Know the names of the people taking care of you
- Be given information you can understand
- Help make decisions
- Ask for special help if you need it
- Have time to play and learn
- Be taught how to take care of yourself when you get home from the hospital
- Know how much your stay in the hospital costs
We perform surgery at two locations, our Main Campus and Cincinnati Children's Mason Campus. Ask your surgeon where your child's operation will be performed.
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Definitions
- Patient
- The individual admitted to the hospital or outpatient service for treatment or observation.
- Parent / guardian
- The individual(s) who, in the proper exercise of their legal authority, authorize the admission to the hospital or outpatient service and approve ongoing treatment or observation. The patient can be his / her own guardian in situations where the patient is of sufficient age and comprehension to understand the rights and responsibilities of the patient.
- If you have any questions about patients' and families' rights and responsibilities, please contact the Division of Family and Community Relations, 513-636-4700, and ask to be connected to a family service representative.
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Revised 1/07; 7/07
