Discussion – Patient Bill of Rights
A patient bill of rights documentation provides a list of guarantees to patients, informing them how they can expect to be treated in the course of receiving medical care. There are eight key areas in the Patients’ Bill of Rights. In my opinion, these rights order of importance is as follows: information for patients, taking part in treatment decisions, access to emergency services, respect and non-discrimination, the confidentiality of health information, choice of providers and plans, complaints and appeals, and consumer responsibilities.
Every patient has a fundamental right to receive understandable, relevant, and accurate information pertaining to their health, health plan (risks and benefits), health care facility, and health care professionals involved in their care (Patient Bill of Rights, n.d). This right assures the patient their needs will be met and helps them feel safe and confident in the health care system. It is my opinion that patients should be able to review their medical records and have information therein interpreted or explained satisfactorily.
Patients have the right to take part in treatment decisions. They need to know treatment options before and during care. They also should have a right to refuse a care plan or treatment recommendation without the fear of retribution from health care providers and professionals (APRA, n.d). They are entitled to other care services or transfer to another health facility. This will require flexibility in hospital policy to ensure that this right is safeguarded and guaranteed.
Access to emergency services is a fundamental right. Though good on paper, a provision should be made to ensure the implementation of this right in the real-world setting. Respectful and considerate care should be availed in emergencies to all without any penalties or discrimination whatsoever.
The Affordable Care Act enacted in 2010 provides for the expansion of the Medicaid Program (HealthCare.gov, n.d). Though not all states have complied with the Obamacare provision, it should be the right of all patients with a Medicaid cover to receive health care services in all hospitals without discrimination (Waidmann & Caswell, 2019). I believe this provision should be included in the list of Patient’s Rights.
References
American Patient Rights Association. (n.d). American Hospital Association Patient’s Bill of Rights. Retrieved from https://www.americanpatient.org/aha-patients-bill-of-rights/
HealthCare.gov. (n.d). Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/
Healthsource Global Staffing. (n.d). Patient Bill of Rights_merged.pdf. Retrieved from https://www.healthsourceglobal.com/docs/Patient%20Bill%20of%20Rights_merged.pdf
Waidmann, T. & Caswell, K. (2019). The Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansions and personal finance. Medical Care Research and Review 76 (5), 538 – 571
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Question 
Within the Discussion Board area, write 300-500 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas:
Discussion – Patient Bill of Rights
In your own words describe the meaning of the Patients’ Bill of Rights. Currently there is no universal Patients’ Bill of Rights, but many facilities have adopted their own set of Patients’ Rights and Responsibilities based on the Consumer Bill of Rights and Responsibilities that was adopted by the US Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry in 1998.
For this discussion, read the Patients’ Bill of Rights presented by Healthsource Global Staffing to all of their employees.
There are eight key areas of the Patients’ Bill of Rights:
Information for patients
Choice of providers and plans
Access to emergency services
Taking part in treatment decisions
Respect and non-discrimination
Confidentiality (And privacy) of health information
Complaints and appeals
Consumer responsibilities
In your response:
Rank the eight areas in terms of which area you think is most important (1) through which area you think is least important (8).
Review your top three areas and discuss what modifications you would make in these areas based on changes that have taken place in the healthcare system since this list was adopted in 1998.
Identify any provisions or areas that you believe should be included that are not addressed in this list of Patient’s Rights. For example, consider some of the patient’s rights and responsibilities afforded to patients as part of the Affordable Care Act
Use APA formatting and citation standards. Use at least two (2) scholarly references published within the last 5 years to substantiate your work.