Patient Rights and Obligations Quiz

Patient Rights and Obligations

• Patient rights are rooted in ethical theory, professional codes, and law.
• Vulnerable populations (older adults, children, LGBTQ2, individuals with impairments, Indigenous people, mentally ill) are at heightened risk in healthcare settings.
• A right is a claim or privilege granted legally or morally, carrying a corresponding obligation.
• Legal rights are enshrined in documents like the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canada Health Act, enforced through the courts.
• Moral rights are societal norms, addressed in codes of ethics, and enforced through civil action or regulatory bodies.
• The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equality for all individuals, regardless of religion, race, national origin, colour, sex, age, or disability.

Patient Rights

• Patients have the right to respectful and dignified treatment.
• Patients have a right to honest and transparent treatment.
• Patients can give or refuse consent.
• Patients have the right to privacy and confidentiality.
• Patients can access information about their personal health.
• Patients have the right to be protected from harm.
• Patients have the right to seek medical assistance in dying.

Patient Responsibilities

• Patients have a responsibility to respect, be honest, and receive treatment with dignity.
• Patients are responsible for providing informed consent, maintaining privacy, and accessing their health information when relevant.
• Patient's responsibility in seeking Medical Assistance in Dying is implied but not explicitly stated as a right or responsibility.
• Ontario's Patient Bill of Rights applies across all healthcare.

Informed Consent

• For informed consent to be valid, patients must receive complete information about their condition, prognosis, and treatment options, including potential risks and consequences.
• Inadequate or incomplete information invalidates informed consent.
• Treatment without informed consent can result in liability for negligence or battery.

Access to Health Information and Teaching

• Nurses provide patients (or families) with necessary knowledge & skills for self-care and accessing healthcare.
• Patients have the right to access their health records, guided by legislation and agency policy.
• Many agencies offer online access to health records.
• Generally only physicians and nurses with extended certificates can communicate diagnoses.
• Communicating a diagnosis is a controlled act in Ontario, which can be delegated.
• When a diagnosis hasn't been communicated, nurses should advocate for the patient's right to be informed.

Confidentiality

• Health care professionals have legal and ethical obligations to maintain patient confidentiality.
• Statutory duty of disclosure applies to communicable/STDs, suspected abuse, intent to harm, gunshot wounds.
• Disclosure may occur during legal proceedings or to relevant agencies like Workers' Compensation.
• In court testimony, only details relevant to the issue should be disclosed.

Personal Health Information Protection

• Every province & territory has legislation to protect personal health information
• Establish rules regarding collection, use, and disclosure of health records.
• Guarantees individuals' access to their records and allows independent review of complaints.

Test your knowledge about patient rights and obligations in healthcare. This quiz covers ethical theories, legal frameworks, and the rights of vulnerable populations. Understand the balance between rights and obligations in the context of medical treatment and care.