Patient Responsibilities

It is the patient's responsibility to:

• Ensure the hospital has a copy of their written advance directive if there are any;

• To provide, to the best of their knowledge, complete and accurate information about present complaints, unexpected changes in condition, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, and other health-related matters;

• To assure the physician that he/she understands the recommended treatment plan and what is expected of them, and that they will follow that treatment plan or to request further information or clarification when he/she does not understand information or instructions regarding their health status or treatment;

• To be considerate of the rights and property of other patient's, the hospital and hospital personnel;

• To assure that the financial obligations of the care are fulfilled as promptly as possible;

• To not smoke in the hospital.

• To ask their physician or nurse what to expect regarding pain and pain management.

• To discuss pain relief options with their physician.

• To work with their physician to develop a pain management plan.

• To ask for pain relief when pain first begins and to tell their physician or nurse that pain is not relieved.

No catalogue of rights can guarantee the patient the kind of treatment he/she has the right to expect. A hospital has many functions to perform, including the prevention and treatment of disease, the education of both health professionals and patient's, and the conduct of clinical research. All of these activities must be conducted with an overriding concern for the patient, and above all, the recognition assures success in the defense of the rights of the patient.

If you have any questions or comments regarding your rights/responsibilities as a patient, please contact administration at (812) 256-7491 during normal business hours; after hours or on weekends, contact the administrator on call at (812) 256-3301.