Patient Privacy & Rights

Patient Privacy and Rights at Emory Healthcare

The employees and medical staff of Emory Healthcare recognize that you are an individual with unique needs and perspectives. The following reflects your rights and responsibilities as we work with you to provide your care.

 

You Have a Right To:

  • Participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care
  • Make informed decisions regarding your care
  • Know who is responsible for coordinating your care
  • Receive considerate and respectful care without discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, as well as source of payment for care
  • Expect your care to be given with regard to your safety and in a safe setting
  • Expect care to be given in an environment free from all forms of abuse or harassment
  • Receive appropriate assessment and management of pain
  • Ask for and receive complete and understandable information about your condition and care
  • Request and/or refuse treatment
  • Have access to treatment facilities that are available and medically indicated
  • Request auxiliary aids when necessary for effective communication
  • Receive respect for your cultural and spiritual beliefs
  • Formulate advance directives and expect that hospital staff will honor these directives
  • Have a family member or representative of your choice notified promptly of your admission to the hospital, and be present during your stay to visit or provide support (unless their presence interferes with others' rights and safety or is medically contraindicated)
  • Have your attending physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital
  • Have a right to personal privacy
  • Receive private and confidential care
  • Receive an explanation of your bill
  • Request and receive the information contained in your medical record within a reasonable time frame
  • Expect that confidentiality of information in your medical record will be maintained
  • Ask for and receive guidance from the hospital Ethics Committee
  • Be free from any restraint or seclusion that is not clinically necessary or necessary in an emergency situation to ensure your immediate physical safety, or the safety of others
  • Voice concerns to hospital staff, medical staff, or patient & family adequacy without fear of reprisal or discrimination
  • Request assistance for concerns, or file a formal grievance with patient & family advocacy and receive a written response
  • Utilize the hospital’s grievance process by filing a complaint with:

 

You Have a Responsibility To: 

  • Provide complete and accurate health, medical and insurance information including an advance directive if available
  • Be considerate and respectful of other patients, hospital staff and hospital property and encourage your visitors to do the same
  • Ask questions when in doubt
  • Communicate changes in your health and/or condition to your caregivers
  • Follow your caregiver's instructions or discuss with them any obstacles you may have in complying with your prescribed treatment plan
  • Accept responsibility for refusing treatment or not following your prescribed treatment plan
  • Be aware that your right to be involved in your plan of care does not include receiving medically unnecessary treatment
  • Meet financial obligations associated with the health care services received
  • Respect and follow hospital rules including those that prohibit offensive, threatening, and /or abusive language or behavior

 

If our staff has been unable to resolve your question or concern, please contact:

View Emory's Patient Notice of Privacy Practices

 

Patient Relations/Advocacy Information

The Patient Relations/Advocacy email box and phone numbers are monitored during normal weekday business hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) excluding after hours, holidays, or weekends. If you need immediate assistance, please call the local Emory Healthcare facility you are attempting to reach and ask to speak with the charge nurse on the inpatient unit (if you or a loved one are currently admitted), or ask to speak with the local Nursing Supervisor. Otherwise, a representative from our Patient Relations/Advocacy team will respond to your email or voicemail within 24-48 hours during normal weekday business hours. We appreciate your patience. Please identify the patient's full name and date of birth so we can easily locate them in our system.

Care Partner/Visitor Policy Information

If you are inquiring about an exception to our care partner/visitor policy, please see the information about our policy on our Visitor Policy page. All visitor exception requests should be routed through the patient's nursing and provider care teams. Please call the clinic or hospital care units for this information.

 

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Patient & Visitors