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Patient Rights and Responsibilities
As a patient at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital, you are entitled to certain rights. You also must assume some responsibilities for your care. Our BirthPlace staff strives to protect your patient rights and inform you of your responsibilities while receiving care at our hospital. This contains important information about patient rights and responsibilities, patient safety, advance directives and other issues. Please read it carefully.
Patient Rights
The back page of this insert lists your rights in accordance with requirements of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; Title 22, California Code of Regulations, Section 70707; and Medicare Conditions of Participation. Patient Rights also are posted throughout our hospital and available upon request from either our Admissions Department or BirthPlace Office.
Patient Responsibilities
As a patient, you have the responsibility to:
- Treat those who are treating you with respect and courtesy.
- Be considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel.
- Observe the medical centers rules and regulations, including the Visitor and No-Smoking policies.
- Be as accurate and complete as possible when providing information about your medical history and present condition, including your level of pain.
- Cooperate fully with the instructions given to you by those providing your care.
- Fulfill the financial obligations of your health care, know your insurance benefits and eligibility requirements and
inform the hospital of changes in your benefits. - Provide a copy of your Advance Directive (Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare), if you have one.
- Follow the guidelines of our Partners in Safety Program (see next section).
Partners in Safety Program
Our BirthPlace staff regards your medical and personal safety as its top priority while you are a patient at our hospital. Many procedures and practices have been developed to protect your well-being and achieve the best possible medical outcome. However, these safeguards are not completely error-proof. That's why we developed our Partners in Safety Program. By following these guidelines, you can partner with our staff to proactively ensure a safer hospital experience.
- Know your healthcare professionals. All hospital personnel doctors, nurses and other staff members must wear photo identification while on duty. If someone approaches you without a badge, ask to see his or her identification or call your nurse.
- Recognize your medication. If the medications you are given look unfamiliar, speak up and ask your doctor or nurse. Chances are likely the medicine is correct, but it never hurts to double-check.
- Make sure your caregivers wash their hands if they perform any hands-on procedures. Hand washing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of hospital infections.
- Make sure you know whos in charge of your care. This is especially important when many people are involved in your treatment.
- Speak up if you have questions or concerns. You have the right to ask questions about any aspect of your care.
- Don't assume that no news is good news about test results. Always ask your doctor for the results.
- If you need surgery, make sure that you, your doctor and your surgeon all agree clearly on what needs to be done.
Advance Directives: Your Right to Make Decisions About Medical Treatment
You have the right to make decisions about your health care and plan for future medical treatment in the event you become ill or injured and unable to speak for yourself. A Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, also known as an Advance Directive, lets you name someone to make treatment decisions for you. That person your agent can make most medical decisions when you cannot speak for yourself. Besides naming an agent, you also can use an advance directive to specify when you would not want certain treatments.
COMPLETING AN ADVANCE DIRECTIVE IS ENTIRELY VOLUNTARY. You can choose to 1) do nothing; 2) talk to your doctor and ask him or her to note your preferences in your medical chart; or 3) make your choices known to family members or close friends. However, people will be clearer about your treatment preferences and more likely to follow them when they are written in an advance directive.
Anyone 18 or older and of sound mind can complete an advance directive and it does not require a lawyer. If you change your mind, you can change or revoke the document at any time, as long as you can communicate your wishes.
You will still receive appropriate medical care, even if you choose not to complete an advance directive. Without one, however, if you become too ill to make medical decisions, someone else will have the burden of making them for you.
For a brochure with more information about advance directives, or to obtain the actual form, please call The BirthPlace Office at (424) 259-8250. If you already have an advance directive, please send a copy of it with the Pre-Admission Form in this packet.
HIPAA: Your Right to Privacy
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, known as HIPAA, established federal regulations for key aspects of health care, including patient privacy and health information security.
Our medical center is committed to protecting your privacy and medical information. We create a record of your treatment and services at our hospital to help with your care. We treat your medical record as confidential information and only use or disclose it to the extent permitted by this law.
Upon admission to our hospital, you will receive a Notice of Privacy Practice. This documents explains our legal duties and privacy practices, including the ways in which we may use or disclose your medical information. It also describes your rights and obligations under this law. If you have questions about our privacy practices, please call our Admissions Department at (424) 259-6000.
Infant Safety and Security
For the safety of your baby, you and the babys father or your support person will be given identification bracelets to wear during your stay. Please wear the bracelets until you are discharged. The bracelet is one component of a comprehensive Infant Security System in place at The BirthPlace.
All hospital personnel who care for you and your baby should be wearing a UCLA Healthcare badge. If someone is not wearing a badge, ask for identification or call your nurse.
Please do not leave your baby unattended in your room. If you are alone and need to shower or use the restroom, call your nurse for assistance. When moving your baby to and from our Nursery, he or she must be transported in a bassinet. CARRYING YOUR BABY IN THE HALLWAYS IS NOT PERMITTED.
Child Passenger Safety Law
California law requires that all children be restrained in a federally approved car seat when traveling by automobile. The law remains in effect until the child is age 6 AND weighs at least 60 pounds. You must have an infant car seat to transport your baby home. If you fail to obtain one before your scheduled discharge, you can purchase one from The BirthPlace. Ask your nurse or call The BirthPlace Office for details. Remember that infants face rear for one year in a car seat secured in your back seat.
Smoking Policy
Smoking is prohibited throughout our hospital, except for the designated smoking area, and within 20 feet of our entrances. Only patients with physician consent may smoke in the designated area. Visitors must exit the facility and use the designated external area. Ask a Security officer or another staff member for these locations.
Paternity Declaration
California law requires that unmarried fathers sign a Declaration of Paternity if they wish their names to appear on birth certificates. Our Maternity Department will provide informational materials, as well as the declaration form. The declaration should be signed while your baby is in our hospital and turned in with the birth certificate worksheet.
If you have questions about the Declaration of Paternity or want to obtain the form, please call our Birth Certificates Coordinator at (424) 259-8249.
