Patient Rights and Responsibilities
Patient's Rights
Courtesy * Privacy * Informed
Patient's have a right:
- To be treated with respect, consideration and dignity;
- To appropriate privacy;
- To be informed about the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of their health problem in terms that can be understood;
- To know the chances that treatment will be effective and to now the possible risks, side effects and alternative methods of treatment;
- To receive confidential treatment of their disclosures and medical records and, except when required by law, are afforded the opportunity to approve or refuse their release;
- To know who is responsible for providing their treatment;
- To have access to a second medical opinion before making any decision. Patients can decide not to be treated, but must be informed of the medical consequences of refusal;
- To participate in decisions involving the health problem, including the right to change physicians and to receive treatment at another facility;
- To be informed of the personal responsibilities involved in seeking medical treatment and maintaining health and well-being thereafter;
- To have access to resource persons and information concerning health education, self-care and prevention of illness;
- To have access to information concerning services available at the organization, provisions for after hours and emergency coverage, fees for services, payment policies, patient conduct and responsibilities;
- To choose any of the physicians at Student Health Services Medical and Dental Services, to change providers or ask to be referred to a non-MSU health care provider;
- To receive information in a manner you understand including language interpreting and translation.
Patient's Rights Downloadable PDF
Patient's Responsibilities
Honesty * Understanding * Courtesy * Communication
As a consumer of a health services, you have responsibilities as well as rights. You can help insure that the medical care that you receive at MSU Student Health Services (SHS) is the best possible by being responsible in the following ways:
- By Being Honest
- You are responsible for providing full information about your illness or problem to allow proper evaluation and treatment.
- Don’t lend your personal student identification to others. If someone else uses your ID at the Student Health Services, it may lead to entries in the wrong medical chart or errors in treatment.
- Don’t give medications prescribed for you to others.
- By Questioning Until You Understand
- You are responsible for understanding your health problems to your satisfaction. If you do not understand the diagnosis, treatment plan, or reason for a test, ask the Student Health Services staff to explain it to you again.
- By Being Courteous—We will strive to be courteous to you
- Please show courtesy and respect to the SHs personnel and to other patients, too.
- By Communicating
- If we forget to ask you about something that you know is important for your care, please tell us (examples: pregnancy, chronic illness, medications you are already taking).
- It is your responsibility to advise the Student Health Services staff if you think you cannot or do not want to follow the suggested treatment plan.
- It is your responsibility to tell the Student Health Services if your condition worsens or does not follow the expected course.
- Please tell us if you are unable to keep a scheduled appointment. When you cancel or reschedule as far in advance as possible, your time slot can be given to another patient.
Your health is shared responsibility between you and us. Let’s be good partners in this endeavor. Getting the most out of your health care does not mean being a silent partner. When you want to know, ask. When you have questions, speak up. When you have problems, tell us. When you like what happens, tell everybody.