Patient Rights & Responsibilities
As a home infusion provider, we have an obligation to protect your rights and explain these rights to you in a way that you can understand before treatment begins or during the initial assessment visit and on an ongoing basis, as needed. Your family or guardian may exercise these rights for you in the event that you are not competent or able to exercise them for yourself.
Table of Contents
Rights
You have the right to:
- Receive information about our organization and ownership.
- Have a relationship with our staff that is based on honesty and ethical standards of conduct and to have ethical issues addressed. You have the right to be informed of any financial benefit we receive if we refer you to another organization, service, individual or other reciprocal relationship.
- Be free from mental, physical, sexual and verbal abuse, neglect, damage to or theft of property and exploitation.
- Respect, personal dignity and to have cultural, psychosocial, spiritual and personal values, beliefs and preferences respected. You will NOT be discriminated against based on social status, political beliefs, race, color, sexual preference, religion, nationality, age, sex or handicap. Our staff is prohibited from accepting gifts or borrowing from you.
- Receive information in a manner that you can understand. We will provide an interpreter if necessary to ensure accurate communication.
- Voice complaints and have your complaints as well as your family or guardian’s complaints heard, reviewed and if needed resolved regarding treatment or care that is or fails to be furnished or the lack of respect for property by anyone who is furnishing services on behalf of this organization. You also have the right to know the results of filed complaints. This organization must document both the existence of a complaint and the resolution. Our complaint process is explained in the Problem Solving Procedure section.
- Voice complaints/grievances or recommended changes in policy, staff or service/care without coercion, discrimination, restraint, interference, reprisal or an unreasonable interruption in care, treatment or services for doing so.
- Please be advised when you are accepted for service, of the availability of the State’s toll free “HOTLINE” number. The hotline receives complaints and questions concerning local home care agencies and is also used to lodge complaints concerning the implementation of the advance directives requirements. You may also contact ACHC (Accreditation Commission for Health Care Inc) at 919 785-1214.
- In Pennsylvania, the hotline may be reached at 1800 222-0989. Their business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Voicemail is available 24 hours,7 days a week.
- In New Jersey, the hotline can be reached at 1-800 792-9770. This is a 24 hour hotline.
- In Delaware, the hotline can be reached at 1-877 453-0012. This is a 24 hour hotline.
- In Maryland, the hotline can be reached at 1-888-202-9861. This is a 24 hour hotline.
Decision Making
You have the right to:
- Choose your health care providers and communicate with those providers regarding your care.
- Be informed in advance about the service that is provided, names and responsibilities of staff members who are providing your care, the planned frequency of their visits, expected and unexpected outcomes, potential risks and barriers.
- Participate in the planning or making changes in your care and treatment. You, your caregiver or guardian may have a copy of the plan of care upon request.
- Be advised of any change in your plan of care before the change is made.
- Have members of your family involved in decision making as appropriate concerning your care and treatment, when approved by you or your surrogate decision maker and allowed by law.
- Participate or refuse to participate in research, investigational or experimental studies or clinical trials. Your access to care and treatment will not be affected if you refuse or discontinue participation in research.
- Formulate advance directives and receive written information about the company’s policies and procedures on advance directives, including a description of state laws before care is provided. You will be informed if we cannot implement an advance directive on the basis of conscience.
- Have your wishes concerning end of life decisions addressed to have health care providers comply with your wishes in accordance with state law. You have the right to receive care without conditions or discrimination based on the execution of your advanced directives.
- Accept, refuse or discontinue service without fear of reprisal or discrimination and to be informed of the consequences for doing so. You may refuse all or part of your service permitted by law. However, should you refuse to comply with the plan of care and your refusal threatens our commitment of quality care, then we or your physician may be forced to discharge you from our service and refer you to another source of care.
Privacy & Security
You have the right to:
- Personal privacy and security during our home care visits and for your property to be treated with respect. Our staff will properly identify themselves upon arrival.
- Confidentiality of written, verbal and electronic information including your medical records, your health information, your social and financial information or what takes place in your home.
- Refuse filming or recording or revoke your consent for filming or recording of your treatment for purposes other than identification, diagnosis or treatment.
- Access, request changes and to receive an accounting of disclosures regarding your protected health information as permitted by law.
- Request us to release information written about you and your care as required by law or with a written authorization from you and to be advised of our policies and procedures regarding the access and/or disclosure of medical records. Please see our Notice of Privacy Practices for details.
Financial Information
You have the right to:
- Be advised verbally and in writing before care starts of our billing policies and payment procedures.
- Be advised verbally and in writing of any changes in payment, charges and patient payment liability as soon as possible when they occur but no later than 30 calendar days from the date that we become aware of the change.
- Have access to all bills, upon request, for the services you have received regardless of whether the bills are paid out-of-pocket or by another party.
Quality of Care
You have the right to:
- Pain assessment and management. To receive education about your role and your family’s role in managing pain when appropriate, as well as potential limitations and side effects of pain treatment.
- Be admitted only if we can provide the care that you need. If you require care or services that we cannot provide, we will inform you and refer you to an alternative service.
- Receive emergency instructions and be told what to do in case of an emergency.
Responsibilities
You have the responsibility to:
- Provide complete and accurate information to the best of your knowledge about your present complaints and past illness (e.g.), hospitalizations, medications, allergies and other matters relating to your health.
- Remain under a doctor’s care while receiving home infusion services.
- Notify us of perceived risks or unexpected changes in your condition (e.g. hospitalization, changes in the plan of care, symptoms to be reported, pain, homebound status or change in physician).
- Follow the plan of care and instructions and accept responsibility for the outcome if you choose not to.
- Ask questions when you do not understand something about your care or instructions about what you are expected to do. If you have concerns about your care or cannot comply with the plan, please let us know.
- Report and discuss pain, pain relief options and your questions, worries and concerns about pain medication with staff or appropriate medical personnel.
- Contact us if you need to make changes to your scheduled visit.
- Tell us if you have changes in your insurance.
- Follow our company’s rules and regulations.
- Tell us if you have an advance directive or if you make changes to your existing advance directive.
- Contact us with any problems or dissatisfaction with the services provided.
- Provide a safe and cooperative environment for care to be provided (such as confining pets, not smoking etc.).
- Show respect and consideration for our staff.
- Carry out mutually agreed upon responsibilities.
- Forward payment to our main office if you receive reimbursement from your insurance company. A self-addressed stamped
envelope will be provided, along with instructions on how to properly endorse the insurance check. If a check is not forwarded
to the main office, arrangements must be made to satisfy the financial obligation. By accepting our services, you are accepting
responsibility of payment for all services rendered. - Promptly meet financial obligations and responsibilities that were agreed upon with our company.
Call T&C Neuromax with:
- Medication Questions or Concerns
- Pump Problems
- Allergy or Reaction to Medication
- Updates from the Physician that may Change your Care
- You are Hospitalized
- A Change in Your Condition Such As:
- Pain Not Relieved by Medications
- New Onset of Pain
- Dizziness, Fainting, Falls, or Injuries
- Change in Mental Status, Speech, or Behavior
- Active Bleeding from Any Site
- Loss of Sensation in Extremities
