St Joseph Hospital: Patients Rights To Medical Records

Friday 7 December 2012

Patients Rights To Medical Records

Second, it is commonly agreed that a health care practitioner may withdraw from the care of a patient who acts inappropriately within the health care setting. The most common situation discussed is when a patient becomes violent or acts in ways that endanger the practitioner, other patients, or staff. However, this would also include inappropriate sexual advances from a patient (or possibly from a patient's guardian, spouse, parent, etc.). In such cases, a practitioner may, if necessary, withdraw from the treatment of the patient without abandoning the patient, as the health care relationship has already been severed and the bond of trust damaged.

A third area, but one, which involves more difficulty, arises from issues regarding the cultural and religious values of health care practitioners. As noted in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals â€“ Refreshed Core (JCAHO, Jan., 1998, p. HR-21), in the delivery of health care there should be respect for a health care practitioner's, "â€¦ cultural values, ethics, and religious beliefs and the impact these may have on patient care". The Manualemphasizes that to respect all staff members, a health care institution (or practice) should establish policies for how staff members can make requests to discontinue care for ethical, religious, and cultural reasons, as well as policies for ensuring that patient care will not be negatively affected. It is further noted that addressing such issues in advance, even at the time of hiring or contracting, will be the most helpful for maintaining an appropriate level of patient care.