A Patient's Bill of Rights

Health Rights | A Patient's Bill of Rights

This document:

Adapted from American Hospital Association, 1973 by the Association for Consumers' Action on Safety and Health, Mumbai, India (Revised in October 1992)

A patient has the right to considerate and respectful care.
The patient has the right to obtain from his physician complete current information concerning his diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis in terms the patient can be reasonably expected to understand.
The patient has the right to receive from the physician information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment.
The patient has the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of his action.
The patient has the right to every consideration of his privacy concerning his own medical care programme.
The patient has the right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to his case should be treated as confidential.
The patient has the right to expect that within its capacity a hospital must make reasonable response to the request of the patient for services.
The patient has the right to obtain information as to any relationship of his hospital to other health care and educational institutions in so far as his care is concerned.
The patient has the right to be advised if the hospital proposes to engage in or perform human experimentation affecting his care or treatment, the patient has the right to refuse to participate in such research or projects.
The patient has the right to expect reasonable continuity of care.
The patient has the right to examine and receive an explanation of his bill regardless of the source of payment.
The patient has the right to know what hospital rules and regulations apply to his conduct as a patient.

All these activities must be conducted with an overriding concern for the patient, and above all, the recognition of his dignity as a human being. Success in achieving his recognition assures success in the defense of the rights of the patient.

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