Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Patient Rights

At Swope Health Services, we are committed to providing you quality medical and behavioral health services. As a patient, you have certain rights. Understanding those rights will help you to get the best possible care.

You have the right:

1. to receive compassionate and respectful care regardless of age, sex, race, national origin, religion, disability, or communicable disease
2. to be well informed from your doctor/designee about your diagnosis, treatment, and chances for recovery in words you can understand. This information should include the specific treatment, medical risks, benefits, side effects
3. to know the names and roles of people treating you
4. to exclude any and all family members from participating in health care decisions (in accordance with applicable laws)
5. to receive sufficient information to help you make decisions involving your health care
6. to refuse recommended treatment to the extent permitted by law, and to be told what will happen to you medically if that is your choice
7. to medical privacy and confidentiality of all records pertaining to your treatment, except as required by law or third party payment
8. to have your medical record read only by individuals directly involved in or supervising your treatment, monitoring the quality of your treatment, or authorized by law or regulation
9. to have access to information contained in your medical record, within the limit of the law and facility policy
10. to amend your medical record if there is information you believe to be incorrect
11. to refuse to take part in research. Any human experimentation affecting care or treatment will be performed with your informed consent
12. to expect the facility to respond reasonably to your request for medical services. The facility must serve you in a way that reflects the urgency of your case. In extreme cases, you may be transferred to another medical facility. Except in an emergency, you have the right to receive as much information as possible about the need for- and alternatives to- a transfer. You cannot be relocated until after the other facility has accepted the transfer
13. to formulate an Advance Directive, express your choices about future care and appoint someone to make decisions for you if you cannot speak for yourself
14. to access protective services or information regarding protective services. If you would like additional information about obtaining help for child abuse, elder abuse, or domestic violence, please call the Domestic Violence Hotline at 816-995-1000
15. to know which agencies survey or accredit our organization and the department(s) within which you may be a patient or client
16. to get information about the relationships between the Health Center and other health care and educational facilities involved in your care, to find out if any professional, financial, control, or ownership relationships exist among people who treat you at any of the facilities involved
17. to express verbally or by letter, any complaints or recommendations concerning our services. You may communicate a complaint or grievance in writing or by calling The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II) hotline: 816-922-7662. Patients using our Behavioral Health Services may contact the Behavioral Health department directly, or file a formal grievance with the Department of Mental Health, 1706 E. Elm Street, PO Box 687, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Phone: 573-751-4122.

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Patient Responsibilities

The care you receive is partially dependent upon your acting in a cooperative manner with your health care providers, including communicating openly and honestly, following treatment plans, and respecting the facility standards of conduct. As a patient at Swope Health Services, you are responsible for:

1. following all facility rules
2. providing accurate and complete information about current symptoms, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, advance directives, and any other matters related to care
3. following instructions that you and your health care provider have agreed upon
4. asking questions about your care that you may not understand or have questions about, including risks of procedures, outcomes, and costs of treatment
5. making informed decisions about your care and treatment
6. knowing what medications or drugs you are taking, why you are taking them, and the proper way to take them according to your provider’s instructions
7. keeping scheduled appointments, arriving on time for scheduled appointments, and for calling as soon as possible to cancel when you cannot keep a scheduled appointment. Please notify us at least 24 hours in advance of appointment cancellations
8. advising us of any changes in the following:
1. Address
2. Phone Number
3. Income
4. Family Size
5. Insurance Information
9. respecting and considering other people, employees, the property of others, and property of Swope Health Services
10. attending and supervising your children while in the facility
11. paying bills and fees promptly.

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