Patient Responsibilities

As a patient of Family Health you have the responsibility to:

1. Become involved in specific health care decisions.
2. Work collaboratively with health care providers in developing and carrying out agreed-upon treatment plans.
3. Follow the provider’s plan of care and to notify your provider of any changes in your medical condition.
4. Disclose relevant information and clearly communicate wants and needs.
5. Present on time for a scheduled appointment and notify the clinic 24 hours in advance to cancel an appointment.
6. Provide accurate and updated information regarding eligibility for services including current home address, social security number, phone number, income verification and insurance coverage.
7. Use Family Health’s internal complaint process to address concerns that may arise.
8. Avoid knowingly the spread of disease.
9. Recognize the reality of risks and limits of the science of medical care and the human fallibility of the health care professional.
10. Be aware of a health care provider’s obligation to be reasonably efficient and equitable in providing care to other patients and the community.
11. Show respect for other patients and health care workers.
12. Abide by administrative and operational procedures of health plans, health care providers and government health benefit programs.
13. Report wrongdoing and fraud to appropriate resources or legal authorities.
14. Respect the financial constraints placed on Family Health by state, federal and local laws, grants and budgets.

Patient Rights

As a patient of Family Health you have the right to:

1. Receive information concerning health care plans affiliated with Family Health including provider networks, benefits and location of services and the right to choose a provider based on this information.
2. Receive services with consideration of human dignity, unrestricted by consideration of age, sex, race, creed, social or economic status, handicap, personal attributes, or the nature of the illness.
3. Receive considerate and respectful care from providers who are experienced and trained to meet client’s medical needs.
4. Know the professional experience and certification of the health care providers, accreditation status and other measures of quality.
5. Participate in decisions about treatment and to accept or refuse treatment based on understanding of health care consequences.
6. Receive appropriate, clinically approved methods to assess and manage pain when those methods are available, necessary and meet health needs.
7. Be informed of any research that could affect care.
8. Receive services with utmost consideration of privacy and have health information maintained in the strictest confidence.
9. Access to affordable health care and information about Family Health operations.
10. Influence the operation of Family Health by participating in patient surveys and through established consumer groups who represent communities served by the agency.
11. Request and receive an explanation of the billing charges.
12. Be seen within a reasonable time of your scheduled appointment and receive an explanation for an unreasonable delay in being seen as scheduled.
13. Receive extended hours of medical coverage for emergency care from a network of experienced, on-call physicians providing services for each medical specialty offered at Family Health sites.
14. Be informed and to consent in writing to health care procedures performed by Family Health provider staff.
15. Be informed of advance directives, receive assistance with their formulation and have them documented and followed properly at Family Health.
16. The patient (under HIPAA) has the right to request access to their record, request a copy of their medical record, request an amendment to incorrect information, and request a restriction on use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI). The patient also has a right to be informed of the organization’s privacy practices.
17. A fair and efficient process for resolving differences with the Family Health and to be informed of the comment, concern, compliment procedures used by Family Health.
18. A guardian, next of kin, or legally authorized responsible person may exercise rights for the patient if the patient is unable to participate.