The patient has the right, within the law, to personal privacy and information privacy, as manifested by the right to:
- Refuse to talk with or see anyone not officially connected with the hospital, including visitors, persons officially connected with the hospital but who are not directly involved in his care.
- Wear appropriate personal clothing and religious or other symbolic items, as long as they do not jeopardize safety or interfere with diagnostic procedures or treatment.
- To be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure reasonable audiovisual privacy. This includes the right to have a person of one's own gender present during certain parts of a physical examination, treatment, or procedure performed by a health professional of the opposite sex; and the right not to remain disrobed any longer than is required for accomplishing the medical purpose for which the patient was asked to disrobe.
- Expect that any discussion or consultation involving his/her case will be conducted discreetly and that individuals, not involved in direct care, will not be present without permission of the patient.
- Have his/her medical record read only by individuals directly involved in treatment or monitoring of quality, and by other individuals only on written authorization by the patient or that of his/her legally authorized representative.
- Expect that all communications and other records pertaining to his care, including the source of payment for treatment, be treated as confidential.
- Expect that information given to concerned family members or significant other legally qualified person, be delivered in privacy and with due consideration of confidentiality.
- Request transfer to another available room if another patient or visitors in that room are unreasonably disturbing to said patient.
- Be placed in protective privacy and/or be assigned an alias name when considered necessary for personal safety.