Honor Patients Rights

Obligation to Honor Patients’ rights and responsibilities

Paula Favers

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10/23/2016

Have you ever wondered about the rights of patients and their responsibilities as it relates to health care? Patient rights are those basic rule of demeanor between patients and their medical caregivers as well as the bodies and people that support them. The definition of a “patient is anyone who has requested to be evaluated by or who is being evaluated by any healthcare professional”. So with that definition in mind how do we honor the rights and responsibilities of the patients we service every day? In this paper I will explain why the rights of patients are important as well as what responsibilities that the patient

This is based on the concept of the person, and the important dignity and equality of all human beings, that the notion of patient rights was developed. In other words, what is owed to the patient as a human being, by physicians and by the state, took shape in large part thanks to this understanding of the basic rights of the person. Another form of patients’ rights are that of communication, having an open and honest way to communicate with you doctor and or nurse. According to the Medical health journal “Patients have a right to know their past and present medical status and to be free of any mistaken beliefs concerning their conditions” it is in my belief that many patients have the tendencies to believe what doctors tell them about themselves ex: when the doctor tells you that you haven’t stopped smoking when in reality you have stopped three months ago. A patient has the right to tell the doctor about his or her bodies and the doctor has to be able to understand and listen what is being told to

For ex: being a new patient and the doctor obtaining the medical history from the patient. Patients should seek, when recommended for their age group, an annual medical examination e chance and be present at all other scheduled health care appointments. Patients should be allowed the chance to provide accurate information to doctors regarding their medical and personal histories, and current symptoms and conditions. Patients should ask the necessary questions in regards to their health to determine the potential risks, benefits, and costs of treatment alternatives. When it is appropriate, patients may include information about the availability and accessibility of clinical trials that they took part in. Additionally, patients should also seek and read literature about their conditions and weigh all pertinent factors in making informed decisions about their care. According to emedicinehealth.com it states that the” past patient surveys have found that virtually all patients desired some acknowledgment of even minor errors”. For both moderate and severe mistakes, patients were significantly more likely to consider legal action if the physician did not disclose the error. With findings as such as these reinforce much importance of