Patients & Visitors

Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Our mission at the Hospital is to advance healthcare for everyone through outstanding clinical care, education, research, and social responsibility. By understanding your rights and responsibilities as a patient, you help us accomplish our mission.

As our patient, you have the right to:

ACCESS

• Receive appropriate medical care without discrimination
• Contact and speak with the physicians involved in your care
• Communicate and receive a timely response to your complaints by contacting the Patient and Guest Experience Office without fear of reprisal
• Access protective services with the assistance of Health Social Work

RESPECT and DIGNITY

• Be treated as an individual, with unique needs and desires.
• Receive courteous and respectful carefree of unnecessary restraints or seclusion, and free from all forms of abuse and harassment
• Be Assured of the confidentiality of your medical record
• Have your personal privacy respected.
• Promote your privacy during examinations, treatments, discussions, and consultations to the extent possible
• Make informed choices about your care and treatment including the decision to refuse treatment
• Complete an advance directive. The Hospital will provide resources to assist you in preparing an advanced directive upon request

COORDINATION of CARE

• Know who is in charge of your care
• Receive continuity and consistency of care
• Know the identity of doctors, nurses, and others involved in your care and to know if they are students, residents, or trainees

PHYSICAL COMFORT and SAFETY

• Receive care in an environment that is healing, clean and safe
• Receive a timely response to your pain with the goal of maximizing your comfort and functionality
• Receive treatment for your symptoms in the event of a life-limiting illness.
• We will work with you and your family to prevent or manage pain and discomfort and you and your family will receive support for your concerns related to grief and dying
• Refuse or restrict visitors

SUPPORT

• Express concerns, be listened to, and receive appropriate responses without fear of reprisal.
• Accommodations for your religious/spiritual beliefs and preferences
• Receive visitors including but not limited to a spouse, a domestic partner (including a same-sex partner), another family member or friend.
• Presence of a support individual of the patient’s choice during the course of stay when it is safe and possible
• Involve family members and friends in your care when it is safe and possible
• Access to family and friends outside the hospital through visits, private phone conversations, and verbal or written contact as appropriate to the clinical setting
• Option of notifying family member, friend, or physician of your hospital admission
• Access to the Ethics Consult Service to help you in exploring issues and options in making healthcare decisions.

INFORMATION, EDUCATION and COMMUNICATION

• Receive effective communication through a confidential language or sign language interpreter at no cost to you. We also provide the patient and companion with support aides for the deaf and hard of hearing including television closed captioning and writing supplies. Please notify a staff member if you need communication assistance.
• Participate in discussions, understand, and ask questions concerning your diagnosis, treatment, care plan, and discharge
• Read and understand forms that require your signature
• Be given complete and current information about your condition, treatments, and outcomes of care including unanticipated outcomes in a language you understand
• Know the risks and benefits of procedures and treatments
• Information on clinical trials affecting your care and treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate and refusal will not affect your ongoing access to care
• Receive an itemized bill and an explanation of charges in a language you understand
• Receive a copy of your medical record (at your expense) after discharge by contacting Health Information Management

PATIENT RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide complete and accurate information about your current and past state of health, including past illnesses, hospitalizations, and medications you are taking
• Inform us about your pain and options to minimize it
• Tell us if there is a problem or you don’t agree with your care or treatment plan
• Provide us a copy of your advance directives so we can honor your preferences
• Ask questions when you do not understand what we are saying or asking you to do
• Follow the treatment plan as agreed upon with your healthcare team. Accept the responsibility for your health outcome if you choose not to follow your treatment plan
• Leave valuables at home and bring only necessary items for your hospital stay such as glasses, dentures, hearing aids. We are not responsible for lost valuables and personal belongings
• Assist us in maintaining a safe environment by informing us if you observe unsafe conditions or practices
• Respect that we are an equal opportunity employer, and we reserve the right to assign a competent caregiver with skills that match your clinical needs. It is our policy that staff members and their work environment are free from all forms of discrimination and harassment
• Treat your caregivers and other patients and families with respect and consideration by controlling noise/disturbances, refraining from smoking, and respecting others’ properties
• For your safety and well-being, remain on the clinical unit
• Support our healing environment by using civil language and displaying civil conduct
• Disruptive and aggressive behavior will not be tolerated.

The Hospital provides the opportunity for all patients to express their concerns about the quality of care or service they have received through a complaint/grievance mechanism. The Hospital has established a process for the prompt review, investigation, and resolution of patient complaints and grievances. The patient or their representative can contact the Patient and Guest Experience Office at 312.355.0101 or at pgxo@uic.edu to file a grievance. The Hospital also has the obligation to disclose the name of the state agency to which the patient may take a grievance.

Illinois Department of Public Health
Central Complaint Registry
525 W. Jefferson Street
Springfield, IL 62761
Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Phone: 800.252-4343 TTY: 711
Email: dph.ccr@illinois.gov
In addition, patients may also contact:

The Joint Commission Office of Quality and Patient Safety
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
Phone: 800.994.6610
Fax: 630.792.5636
Questions about patient rights and responsibilities should be directed to the Patient & Guest Experience Office (PGXO) at 312-355-0101.