Your Patient Rights

Your active role in your care

As a patient at Doctors Medical Center of Modesto, you – along with your medical team – have an active, responsible role to play in your healthcare decisions. Your involvement helps us provide considerate care that respects your rights as a patient.

Patient rights

You have:

1. The right to impartial access to treatment or accommodations that are available or medically indicated – regardless of age, race, sex, national origin, religion, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation or sources of payment for care.
   
2. The right to know the identity and professional status of individuals providing service and which physician or other practitioner is primarily responsible for your care. This includes the right to know of the existence of any professional relationship to any other healthcare or educational institutions involved in your care.
   
3. The right to obtain complete and current information concerning diagnosis (to the degree known), treatment and any known prognosis or unanticipated outcomes. This information will be communicated in terms that are understood.
   
4. The right to participate in decisions involving your healthcare. To the degree possible, this should be based on a clear, concise explanation of your condition and of proposed technical procedures, including the possibilities of any risk of mortality or serious side effects, problems related to recuperation and probability of success. You will not be subjected to any procedure without your voluntary consent or that of your legally authorized representative (except in emergencies).
   
5. The right to receive, from your physician, the information necessary to give informed consent prior to the start of any procedure and/or treatment. This includes information about the specific procedure and/or treatment, the risks involved, the probable duration of incapacitation, alternatives for care or treatment and benefits of the procedure and/or treatment. You also have the right to know the name of the person performing the procedures and/or treatment.
   
6. The right, in collaboration with the physician, to make decisions involving your healthcare – including the right to accept medical care or to refuse treatment to the extent permissible by law and to be informed of the medical consequences of such refusal.
   
7. The right to have a completed Advance Directive (such as a Living Will or Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare) placed in your medical record, with the expectation that the hospital staff and practitioners will honor the directive to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy.
   
8. The right not to have care discontinued based on the presence of an advance directive.
   
9. The right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to your care will be treated as confidential.
   
10. The right to review and/or request a copy of the records pertaining to your medical care and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary, except when restricted by law.
    
11. The right, within the limits of law, to personal privacy and discretion regarding any discussion or consultation involving your care. Individuals not directly involved in your care will not be present without your permission.
    
12. The right to be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to provide reasonable audiovisual privacy.
    
13. The right to have a family member or representative of your choice and your own physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital.
    
14. The right to the hospital’s reasonable response to your requests and needs for treatment or service, within the hospital’s capacity, its stated mission and applicable law and regulation.
    
15. The right to considerate and respectful care that will include consideration of the psycho-social, spiritual and cultural variables that influence the perceptions of illness.
    
16. The right to receive care in a safe setting and to be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
    
17. The right to request and have a chaperone present during sensitive physical examinations and treatments.
    
18. The right to appropriate assessment and management of pain and to be involved in a personal plan for pain management.
    
19. The right to be free from restraints, of any form, that are not medically necessary or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by the staff.
    
20. The right to information, at the time of admission, about your rights and responsibilities and the mechanism for the initiation, review and – when possible – resolution of complaints concerning care.
21. The right to voice complaints about your care and to have those complaints reviewed and, when possible, resolved.
    
22. The right to receive comfort, dignity and pain management – as well as support for your family and psycho-social and spiritual concerns – as you deal with death and the expression of grief.
    
23. The right of a guardian, next of kin or a legally authorized responsible person to exercise the rights delineated on your behalf, to the extent permitted by law. (This is in the case of incompetence, according to the law; if you have been found by your physician to be medically incapable of understanding the proposed treatment or procedure; are unable to communicate your wishes regarding treatment; or are a minor). All physicians performing services at Doctors Medical Center are independent practitioners, not agents or employees of the hospital. Except as expressly provided herein, there are other warranties, express or implied. Doctors Medical Center disclaims any express, statutory or implied warranties – including but not limited to warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.
    
24. The right of your designated representative to participate in the discussion of ethical issues that arise in your care.
    
25. The right, when medically appropriate, to be transferred or to refuse transfer to another facility.
    
26. The right to expect reasonable continuity of care and to be informed by the responsible practitioner or designee of any continuing healthcare requirements following discharge from the hospital.
    
27. The right to be informed and consent to all experimental research studies on human subjects if the hospital proposes to engage in such studies that could affect your care or treatment. You have the right to refuse to participate in such research projects.
    
28. The right to expect unrestricted access to communication. Sometimes, it may be necessary to restrict visitors, mail, telephone calls or other forms of communication as a component of care, to prevent injury or deterioration of your condition, damage to the environment or infringement on the rights of others. Communication restrictions will be explained in a language that you understand. All restrictions will be evaluated for their therapeutic effectiveness.
    
29. The right to receive pastoral care and other spiritual services.
    
30. The right to examine and receive an explanation of your hospital bill regardless of source of payment.
    
31. The right to know which hospital rules and regulations apply to your conduct as a patient.
    
32. The right to access protective services.
    
33. The right to be informed of the purpose of the patient assessment data collection process.
    
34. The right to have any patient assessment information that is collected remain confidential and secure.
    
35. The right to be informed that the patient assessment information will not be disclosed to others, except for legitimate purposes allowed by the Federal Privacy Act and federal and state regulations.
36. The right to refuse to answer patient assessment data questions.
    
37. The right to see, review and request changes on the patient assessment instrument and other protected health information.

Patient responsibilities

The care that you receive depends partially on your participation and actions as a patient in the hospital environment. Therefore, in addition to your rights as a patient, you have certain responsibilities. As your healthcare providers, we believe that you and/or your significant other(s) have the responsibility to:

1. Provide accurate and complete information concerning your present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your health.
   
2. Report perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your condition to the physician(s) and other healthcare providers.
   
3. Report any perceived or identified safety issues related to your care or the physical environment to your physician(s) and other healthcare providers.
   
4. Ask questions when you do not understand what you have been told about your care or what you are expected to do regarding your care.
   
5. Follow the treatment plan established by your physician, including the instructions of nurses and other healthcare professionals as they carry out your physician’s orders.
   
6. Participate in decisions regarding your medical care, including the planning and implementation of your plan of care.
   
7. Ensure the facility has a copy of your advance directive.
   
8. Accept responsibility for your actions if you refuse treatment or do not follow your physician’s orders.
   
9. Assure that the financial obligations for your hospital care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
   
10. Follow hospital policies and procedures.
    
11. Be considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel.
    
12. Be respectful of your personal property and that of other persons in the hospital.

Complaint and grievance process

In the event of a concern/complaint/grievance regarding your rights listed here or a quality-of-care issue, you may submit in the following manner:

1. Contact the unit or department director.
   
2. Write your concern/complaint/grievance and submit it to the unit or department director or administration.
   
3. Contact our Patient Satisfaction Line at (209) 576-3599 Mail: Patient Satisfaction Attention: Administration, Doctors Medical Center, 1441 Florida Avenue, Modesto, CA 95350 E-mail: You can also submit your comments through our website by clicking here.
   
4. File a complaint with the California Department of Public Health regardless of whether you use the hospital’s grievance process. The California Department of Public Health’s phone number and address is: California Department of Public Health, Riverside District Office, 625 East Carnegie Drive, Suite 280, San Bernardino, CA 92408, (909) 388-7170.
   
5. Contact the Joint Commission, which accredits Doctors Medical Center of Modesto. Send your complaint by mail, fax or email.
   Email: [email protected]
   Fax: (209) 576-3680 Office of Quality Monitoring (630) 792-5636
   Mail: Office of Quality Monitoring The Joint Commission One Renaissance Blvd. Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181