RGAL - Regional Gastroenterology Associates of Lancaster

Patient Bill of Rights

To be informed of his rights at the time of service.
To expect to be treated with respect, consideration, and dignity by competent personnel in all matters, including cultural, psychological, spiritual and personal value, beliefs and preferences.
To expect good quality care and high professional standards that are continually maintained, reviewed and are in keeping with law or regulation.
To be assured confidential treatment in the disclosure of medical records and afforded the opportunity to approve or refuse the release of such information, except as otherwise permitted by law of third party payment contract and when release is required by law.
To have (personally or through a patient designee, upon request) access to the information contained in his medical records, unless access is specifically restricted by the attending practitioner for medical reasons.
To know the name and function of any person providing health care services.
To know names and professional relationships of other physicians who may care for him in the absence of his attending physician.
To expect privacy concerning his own medical care program. Case discussion, consultation, examination and treatment are considered confidential and shall be conducted discreetly.
To be provided, to the degree known, full information in layman's terms concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis including alternatives and possible complications. When it is not medically advisable to give such information to the patient, the information will be made available to an appropriate person on their behalf.
To have the opportunity to participate in decisions involving their health care.
To request a second opinion or to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of such action.
To leave the office or the endoscopy suite even against the advice of his physician.
To expect a reasonable response to any reasonable requests he may make for service. This includes responses to oral or written complaints.
To expect a quick response to reports of pain.
To expect that the practitioner shall obtain the necessary informed consent prior to the start of a procedure.
A patient or, if the patient is unable to give informed consent, a responsible person, has the right to be advised when the practitioner is considering the patient as part of a medical care research program, and the patient or responsible person, shall give informed consent prior to actual participation in the program. A patient, or responsible person, may refuse to continue in a program to which he has previously given informed consent.
To expect communication in the language which they understand.
To expect treatment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, handicap, disability or source of payment, except for fiscal capability thereof.
To know what services are available, such as provisions for after hours or emergency care, educational material available, and policies concerning payment of fees.
To examine and receive an explanation of his bill, regardless of the source of payment
To expect information for continuing health care requirements following a visit/procedure and the means for meeting them, including knowing in advance the time and location of appointments.
A patient has the right to know what rules and regulations apply to his conduct as a patient.
To expect that good management techniques have been implemented which make effective use of the time of the patient and avoid the personal discomfort of the patient.
To expect emergency procedures to be implemented without unnecessary delay.
To expect if an emergency occurs and a patient is transferred to another facility, the responsible person shall be notified. The institution to which the patient is to be transferred shall be notified prior to the patient's transfer.
To have all patients rights apply to the person who may have legal responsibility to make decisions regarding medical care on behalf of the patient.

Summary

Being a good patient means sharing your concerns. If you have questions, problems, or unmet needs, please let us know. If you would like further clarification of the “Patient Bill of Rights” as they pertain to you, please contact us at (717) 544-3400, Ext. 133.

Effective communication with our patients and their families is important. Should you need explanation about your care or have a concern, we offer these guidelines:

Step 1. Please address the concern directly with the staff caring for you. The parties directly involved are most likely to have the best information and should be the starting point to resolve the situation.
Step 2. If resolution is not reached, please ask to speak to a manager. Should this step not resolve the issue, you are encouraged to move to the next level.
Step 3. If resolution of your concern is not reached, please contact the Practice Administrator at (717) 544-3254.

If addition, concerns may also be directed to:

And

Office of Quality Monitoring
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
One Renaissance Boulevard
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
1-800-994-6610