Full Answer Section

• Respect patients’ autonomy and decision-making rights. Health care professionals should involve patients in making decisions about their care and should respect their decisions, even if they disagree with them.
• Provide patients with all relevant information about their care. Health care professionals should provide patients with information about their diagnoses, treatment options, and prognosis in a way that they can understand.
• Obtain informed consent from patients before performing any procedures or treatments. This means that patients must understand the risks and benefits of any procedures or treatments before they agree to them.
• Protect patients’ privacy and confidentiality. Health care professionals should keep patients’ medical information confidential and should only share it with others when authorized by the patient.
• Provide patients with access to grievance and complaint procedures. Health care professionals should inform patients about how to file a complaint if they are not satisfied with their care.

Here are some specific examples of how health care professionals can ensure that patients’ rights are upheld and protected:

• When a patient is admitted to the hospital, the nurse should explain the hospital’s Patients’ Bill of Rights to the patient and the patient’s family. The nurse should also provide the patient with a written copy of the Patients’ Bill of Rights.
• When a physician orders a test or procedure, the physician should explain the test or procedure to the patient and obtain the patient’s informed consent. The physician should also answer any questions that the patient may have.
• When a nurse is providing care to a patient, the nurse should respect the patient’s privacy and confidentiality. The nurse should not discuss the patient’s medical information with anyone without the patient’s permission.
• If a patient is unhappy with their care, the patient should be encouraged to file a complaint with the hospital’s patient advocate or grievance committee.

It is important to note that patients also have a responsibility to uphold their own rights. Patients should be assertive and ask questions about their care. Patients should also respect the health care professionals who are caring for them.

By working together, patients and health care professionals can ensure that patients’ rights are upheld and protected.