Rights & Responsibilities

Summary of Patient Rights and Responsibilities

Wilson Memorial Hospital is dedicated to caring for each patient with respect and dignity. During your stay here, we want you to be aware of your rights and responsibilities, so that you, your doctor and the hospital can work together to offer the best care possible. Your rights and responsibilities as a patient are included in the following summary.

You have the right:

To medically indicated treatment and services regardless of sex, race, creed, sexual orientation, age, national origin or physical or mental disability.
To considerate and respectful care.
To privacy and confidentiality.
To receive care in a safe setting free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
To be free from restraints of any form that is not medically necessary.
To be informed about the outcomes of care, including unanticipated outcomes, or when the outcomes differ significantly from the anticipated outcomes.
To have pain treated as effectively as possible.
To know the identity of your caregivers including their first name and professional status.
To complete information on diagnosis, treatment and prognosis, spoken in a way that you can understand.
To make informed decisions about your care, based on complete information provided by your doctor.
To an interpreter at no charge when reasonably available if you do not speak or understand the predominant language of the community.
To have a family member or representative of your choice along with your physician notified of your admission to the hospital.
To access your medical records within a reasonable time frame.
To consult with a specialist.
To refuse treatment, as permitted by law, and to be informed of the medical consequences of such a refusal.
To a complete explanation of the need for a transfer to another facility.
To be informed by the practitioner of any continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.
To be informed of the hospital’s source of reimbursement for your services and to request an itemized bill of services provided by the hospital.
To information about the hospital’s patient rights policies, rules and regulations as well as the mechanism to review and resolve patient complaints.
To participate in the consideration of ethical issues that arise in your care.
To have advance directives to express choices about your care and to name another person to make health care decisions on your behalf, when necessary.
To legal representation by a guardian, next of kin, or legally authorized person in exercising your patient rights, to the extent permitted by law, when you are determined to be incompetent in accordance with law, medically incapable of understanding proposed treatment, unable to communicate your wishes concerning treatment or you are a minor.

As a patient you have the responsibility:

To provide the hospital and your physician accurate and complete information about recent and past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, family history and other matters, including a copy of any valid advance directives.
To follow the treatment plan recommended by your physician and to ask questions about matters you do not understand.
To be responsible for any outcome if you refuse treatment or do not follow physician instructions.
To provide information to the hospital about insurance benefits and third party payers, or otherwise assume financial obligation for your health care.
To follow hospital rules and regulations affecting patient care and conduct.
To refrain from using any drugs not ordered by your doctor and administered by the hospital staff.
To recognize how lifestyle and life decisions can impact your health.
To sign the appropriate paperwork if deciding to leave against medical advice.
To make the appropriate arrangements when transferring to another physician or hospital when not medically necessary.
To be respectful of the rights and property of other patients and hospital personnel. Use of tobacco products is not permitted anywhere in the building or hospital property.
To care for all personal property that is kept in your possession during your stay; to send home valuable items such as cash, credit cards or jewelry; or to arrange for such items to be placed in the cashier’s department for safekeeping.

Questions or Concerns

A copy of the complete patient rights and responsibilities policy of Wilson Memorial Hospital is available for your review from the patient advocate office at 937-498-5542.
Any concerns or suggestions may be directed to any hospital staff person or by speaking with the patient advocate. The patient may also contact the Ohio Department of Health Complaint Hotline at 800-342-0553 at 246 N. High St., Columbus, Ohio 43216-0118 or Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program at 800-621-1773 at 142 E. Ontario St, Chicago, IL 60611. Medicare patients may contact Ohio Kepro at 800-589-7337 at 5700 Lombardo Center, Suite 100, Seven Hills, Ohio 44131.