Patient Bill Of Rights Essay Example

The rights established under the Patient Bill of Rights Act apply to every patient or resident in a general hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, health maintenance organization or subject to licensing by the state licensing authority . The act makes several assumptions, which turned into a series of 12 acts. The patient has the right to obtain relevant and accurate information regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis . Another right is to expect every consideration of privacy and a reasonable continuity of care and receive appropriate and medically indicated care and services within the capacity and policies of the hospital. The most important right is to make decisions about the care received during the treatment or refuse a course of treatment.
I certainly agree with the items on the Patient Bill of Rights as affect the way of the provision of health care in the United States. Without the Bill of Rights, there existed the fear that the medical professionals might reduce the patients to the status of things and remove their control of life. The act establishes the patient as a primary decision maker . I would like to add a few other rights in order to improve the relationships between the patients and hospitals. The patients should have the right of access to their health care records and the right to challenge or correct their records for accuracy. They should also have the right to participate in the development of their care plan, which addresses their unique needs. They should have the right to obtain answers for all health related queries from a certified medical professional. The patients should also have the right to legally charge a healthcare facility for violating the rights of patients.

References

Corporation, S. (2004). Nurse's Legal Handbook. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.