Patient's Rights & Responsibilities

Patient Rights

Our respectful care gives you the right to….

• Fair, high-quality, safe and professional care  
• Care regardless of color, race, religion, creed, etc.  
• Consideration, respect, and recognition of you and your individuality  
• Treatment privacy and a safe environment  
• Ask for (except in emergencies) a different provider and/or a person of the same sex to be available for any part of an exam, treatment or procedures performed by a person of the opposite sex  
• Not be undressed any longer than needed for the exam, test, procedure, or other reason. Private and discreet consultation, exam, and care.  
• To wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not interfere with your treatment or procedure

You have the right to your health status…..

• Be informed of your health status in terms and / or language that you, your family, and caregivers can be expected to understand  
• Take part and be active in your care and treatment plan.  
• To participate in decisions in your care  
• Know, be told, and understand:  
• the names, roles and qualifications of your health care experts that provide your care and your follow-up care  
• risks, benefits and side effects of all medicines and treatment procedures for your diagnoses  
• innovative or experimental medicines and treatment procedures of diagnosis offered.  Alternative treatment options offered  
• your procedure and to “give informed consent” before it begins  
• possible outcomes of your care and treatment and the assessment and management of your pain  
• When and if the Practice recommends other health care institutions to participate in other care, know who and where to go, or refuse care.  
• Get help from the doctor and others for follow-up care, if available  
• To change providers if desired, or get a second opinion, including specialists at your request and expense

You have the right to decision making and notification preferences…..

• Choose a person to be your health care representative or decision-maker  
• Exclude those you do not want help from or to join in your care or decisions  
• Ask for, but not have the right to demand, services the Practice does not think are needed or appropriate  
• Give consent to a procedure or treatment or refuse treatment  
• Be included in experimental research only with your written consent or refuse experimental research including new drug and device investigations  
• Receive the information necessary to approve a treatment or procedure

You have the right to access to certain services…..

• Receive translator, interpreter or other necessary services or devices to help you communicate with the Practice in a timely manner  
• Bring a service animal except where prohibited pursuant to Practice policy  
• Have access to our facility buildings in compliance with the ADA, a law that stops discrimination against people with disabilities.  
• Prompt and reasonable response to questions and requests for service

You have the right to ethical decision making…..

• Talk to and join in with your doctor about conflict resolution, foregoing or withdrawing life sustaining care or clinical trial studies.  
• Know that if your health care expert decides your refusal to accept treatment prevents you from getting the right care, it can end the relationship

You have the right to advocacy and protective services…..

• To be given the Practice’s policies and procedures for initiation, review, resolution of patient complaints, including where to file complaints  
• Discuss complaints, issues, or problems with your doctor and the management team  
• File a complaint with the Department of Health or others with your concerns about patient abuse, neglect, misuse of your property at the Practice, other unresolved complaints, patient safety, and quality concerns  
• Have a fair review of alleged patient right violations  
• Receive care and treatment for mental illness or developmental disability within Practice scope  
• Understand and expect emergency procedures without unneeded delay within Practice scope  
• Get needed information to approve a treatment or procedure and receive available protective and advocacy services

Our financial and administrative policies give you the right to…..

• Review your health care bill regardless of your ability to pay it or the payment source.  
• Receive information about available financial resources  
• If uninsured, to receive, before the provision of a planned non-emergency medical service, a reasonable estimate of charges for such service and information regarding any discount or charity policies for which the uninsured person may be eligible.  
• Receive Self-Pay rates.  
• Know if the Practice, doctors and other team members accept Medicare or Medicaid.  
• Know and understand the charges for your services and treatment provided  
• Receive if you ask, with explanation, a reasonable estimate of your health care charges before treatment  
• To be free from any requirement to purchase drugs, or rent or purchase medical supplies or equipment from any particular source (specifically in accordance with the provisions of the CA Section 1320 of the Health and Safety Code) and also to receive patient choice in these type of decisions

Patient Responsibilities

• Give true and complete information about your health status, medical history, hospitalizations, medicines, other health matters, family and other caregiver contact information.  Identify yourself with ID.  
• Let us know about any risks about your care, changes in care, safety concerns, any violation of your patient rights, confusion or not understanding care plan, if you have any questions or concerns about what is expected of you.  
• Follow your care plan and instructions created by your doctor, nurses or other health care team members  
• Keep appointments and, if you cannot make your appointments, let us know at a minimum 24 hours before your appointment  
• Be responsible for your actions if you refuse care or don’t follow doctor’s orders  
• Pay your health care bills in a timely manner.  Know that payment, in most cases, is required at the time of service for an urgent care center.  
• Follow practice procedures, rules and regulations  
• Be thoughtful of the rights of other patients and our staff  
• Be respectful of yourself and our staff  
• Help staff to assess your pain, communicate your concerns about pain medicines and develop a pain management plan within scope of Practice  
• Treat the doctor and our health care staff with respect and consideration  
• Accept that bad language or behavior is not tolerated and may be grounds for dismissal  
• Accept we may end our relationship if you do not follow your doctor’s orders or care plan

Notice About Complaints

Complaints about physicians, as well as about other accredited professionals enrolled in the Texas Board of Medical Examiners, including physician assistants, acupuncture practitioners, and surgical assistants, may be filed at the following address for investigation:

Customer Service Phone: (512) 305-7030(Texas only) 

Customer Service Phone: (800) 248-4062(Outside Texas) 

Customer Service E-mail: verifcic@tmb.state.tx.us 

For more information, visit our website at www.tmb.state.tx.us.