For Patients & Visitors

Patient Advocacy

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

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At Boston Medical Center, it is our duty to respect your rights as a patient. It is important to become familiar with your rights and seek assistance from a Patient Advocate if and when you feel these rights have been violated. Please take the time to review the complete list of Patient Rights below.

You Have the Right

1. To a prompt and adequate response to reasonable requests and needs for treatment or service within the capacity of BMC.
   
   
2. To prompt life-saving treatment in an emergency without discrimination on account of economic status or source of payment.
   
   
3. To considerate and respectful care.
   
   
4. To accept or refuse to be examined, observed or treated by students or any other BMC Hospital staff without jeopardizing access to psychiatric, psychological or other medical care or attention. 
   
   
5. To provide or receive assistance to execute a Health Care Proxy pursuant to law.
   
   
6. To informed consent to the extent provided by law.
   
   
7. Upon request, to obtain from BMC the name and specialty, if any, of the physician or other person responsible for his or her care or the coordination of such care.
   
   
8. Upon admission, to information about BMC’s policy regarding patient rights and responsibilities.
   
   
9. Upon request, to receive any information which the Hospital has available relative to financial assistance and free health care.
   
   
10. Upon request, to obtain an explanation as to the relationship, if any, of BMC, or any physician practicing at BMC, to any other health care facility or educational institution, insofar as said relationship relates to the patient’s care or treatment.
    
    
11. To refuse to serve as a research subject or to refuse to accept any care or examination when the primary purpose is educational or informational rather than therapeutic.
    
    
12. To privacy during medical treatment or other rendering of care within BMC’s capacity.
    
    
13. To confidentiality of records and communications, as prescribed by law.
    
    
14. Upon request, to inspect his or her medical record and to receive a copy thereof, as prescribed by law.
    
    
15. Upon request, to receive a copy of any itemized BMC bill or other statement of charges submitted to a third party for the patient’s care.
    
    
16. To complete information on all medically viable alternative treatments in the case of patients suffering from breast cancer.
    
    
17. Except in cases of emergency surgery, at least 10 days prior to an operation for breast implant, to receive information regarding the risks and disadvantages associated with breast implantations.
    
    
18. At pre-admission, each maternity patient shall receive complete statistics on BMC’s deliveries by cesarean section, nurse-midwife deliveries, deliveries in birthing and delivery rooms, pre-natal monitoring, induction, various delivery procedures, anesthesia and the percentage of patients who breast-feed.
    
    
19. To appropriate assessment and management of pain.
    
    
20. To a BMC medical interpreter, at no cost to you.
    
    

As a patient at Boston Medical Center, you are responsible for conducting yourself in a manner that allows us to safely and effectively provide you with the care you need. It is important that you become familiar with your responsibilities as a patient, and act in accordance with these principles while in our care. Please take the time to review the complete list of Patient Responsibilities below.

You Have the Responsibility

1. To keep appointments, or telephone BMC when you cannot keep a scheduled appointment.
   
   
2. To provide to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, advance directives and other matters relevant to health or care.
   
   
3. To inform BMC promptly if you do not understand any matter relating to your care or treatment or instructions with which you cannot comply.
   
   
4. To be considerate of other patients and to see that your visitors are considerate, particularly with reference to noise (visiting regulations have been established to ensure the rights and comfort of all patients and must be followed).
   
   
5. To observe the BMC’s smoke-free policy.
   
   
6. To abide by the BMC’s rules and regulations.
   
   
7. To provide the BMC with necessary information regarding coverage of your hospital charges.
   
   
8. Patients are responsible for their actions if they refuse treatment or do not follow their practitioner’s instructions.
   
   
9. To provide to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications, advance directives and other matters relevant to health or care.
   
   
10. To inform the Hospital promptly if you do not understand any matter relating to your care and treatment or instructions with which you cannot comply.
    

Filing a Grievance

If you have concerns regarding your care and treatment, you have the right to file a grievance with Boston Medical Center. Please call Patient Advocacy at 617-414-4970.

You also have the right to file a grievance with:

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Division of Health Care Quality,
99 Chauncy Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02111;
Call 617-753-8000

The Joint Commission, Office of Quality Monitoring,
1 Renaissance Boulevard,Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181;
Call 800-994-6610 or email complaint@jcaho.org