Patient Rights

As a patient, you have certain rights. Some are guaranteed by federal law, such as the right to get a copy of your medical records, and the right to keep them private. Many states have additional laws protecting patients, and health care facilities often have a patient bill of rights.

An important patient right is informed consent. This means that if you need a treatment, your health care provider must give you the information you need to make a decision.

Many hospitals have patient advocates who can help you if you have problems. Many states have an ombudsman office for problems with long term care. Your state's department of health may also be able to help.

Start Here

Patient Bill of Rights (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Questions Are the Answer (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
When Health Care Providers May Communicate About You with Your Family, Friends, or Others Involved in Your Care (Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights) - PDF

Related Issues

Informed Consent (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Informed Consent (American Cancer Society) Also in Spanish
Rights and Responsibilities of VA Patients and Residents of Community Living Centers (Department of Veterans Affairs)

Specifics

Your Medicare Rights (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Informed Consent (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: A health-conformant reading of the GDPR's right not to be subject.
Article: The relationship professional commitment and ethics with patient rights: a cross-sectional.
Article: The justification and practice of the patient rights charter from the.
Patient Rights -- see more articles

Find an Expert

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
Find the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program in Your State (National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care)

Patient Handouts

Informed consent - adults (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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Patient Rights

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Consumer rights and protections
Informed consent - adults

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