Patient Rights &
Information Guide
Welcome to Wishard!
Were glad you chose us for your healthcare. The mission of Wishard Health Services is to
advocate, care, teach and serve with special emphasis on the vulnerable populations of
Marion County. Managed and staffed by physicians of the IU School of Medicine, Wishard is
proud to be one of the leading providers of healthcare in our city. With a Level I Trauma
Center and nationally recognized services such as Midtown Community Mental Health Center,
IU National Center of Excellence in Womens Health and a regional burn center, we are well
equipped to handle every medical emergency and we hope to be your provider of choice for
all of your familys healthcare needs.
At Wishard, you are the
most important member
of the healthcare team.
As a member of this team, we encourage you to ask questions and participate in decisions
about your care. This brochure will provide you with information that is important for you to
know in order for you to be well informed about your care and your rights. If you are an
inpatient, the television in your room can also provide more information about the services
available to inpatients at Wishard Memorial Hospital.
If you ever have questions or concerns about your visit to Wishard that cannot be resolved
promptly by the staff who are assisting you, please feel free to contact a member of the
Patient Relations Department by calling 630-6676. Patient Relations staff members are avail-
able Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Fridays from 8 a.m.
to 5 p.m. After hours, please inform the charge nurse of your nursing unit or clinic of any
concerns needing immediate attention. If your concern cannot be resolved with the
Patient Relations staff, you may also contact the Indiana State Department of Health by call-
ing 233-1325 (TDD 233-5577) at 2 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46204.
Your Rights as a Patient
As a patient of Wishard Health Services, you have the right to:
Access to Compassionate Care
Be treated with dignity, compassion, care and respect.
Exercise your cultural, spiritual and personal beliefs.
Receive appropriate care within the scope of
Wishards mission.
Advanced Directives
Receive help in understanding, preparing or revising an
advance directive.
Have your advance directive honored within the limits of
the law and be informed if we cannot honor it for any reason.
Communication
Have visitors, mail, telephone calls or other forms of
communication.
Participate in any decisions to limit these forms of
communication.
Confidentiality and Privacy
Confidentiality and privacy regarding all aspects of
your care and medical information.
Be informed of the laws protecting your medical information.
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Consent
Receive clear and understandable information about your care
and services before agreeing to them.
Actively participate in all decisions about your care.
Have your family participate in your care if you desire.
Appoint an alternate decision maker, as allowed by law, to
make decisions about your care should you become unable
to do so.
Choose whether or not to participate in any recording,
filming or media events.
Participate in organ donation only if you desire.
Grievance Procedure
Expect a thorough review and assistance in resolving any
complaints you might have.
Receive information on how to voice a complaint to hospital
or state authorities.
Hospital Charges
Expect care that is appropriate regardless of your
financial status.
Be informed about charges for which you will be responsible.
Receive counseling to support you in meeting your
financial obligations.
Hospital Rules and Regulations
Expect ethical behavior in our services and business practices.
Expect us to identify and resolve conflicts of interest.
Identity
Know who your caregivers are.
Be informed of business relationships that may influence
your care.
Information
Receive information about your care and rights in a
manner you can understand.
Be informed and understand any changes in the
staff responsible for your care.
Be informed of all unanticipated outcomes of care.
Understand your options to participate in clinical research.
Personal Safety and Comfort
Be cared for in a safe environment and receive protection for
your personal belongings.
Have your rights protected and respected under the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
Be free from any form of mental, physical, sexual or
verbal abuse.
Receive protective and/or advocacy services.
Be free from restraints of any form that are not
medically necessary.
Receive assistance in managing your pain.
Have a person of your own sex present during your
exam if you request it.
Refusal of Care
Refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law and be
informed of consequences and possible alternatives.
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Patient Responsibilities
Wishard has the right to expect patients to:
Provide information about your present health, past illnesses,
hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your health.
Report perceived risks in your care and unexpected changes in your health.
Provide us with feedback you might have about your
needs and expectations
Ask questions when you do not understand your care or instructions.
Follow the care plans developed or communicate your concerns about them.
We will make every effort to honor your suggestions about care plans.
Understand that there may be negative consequences of your choice not to
follow care plans.
Follow the hospitals rules and regulations that provide safety and security for all
patients and caregivers.
Show respect and consideration for other patients, families and hospital employees.
Meet financial obligations agreed to with Wishard Health Services.
Privacy
Your privacy is very important to us at Wishard Health Services. When you were admitted to
the hospital or were registered for outpatient services, you were offered a copy of the
Wishard Health Services Notice of Privacy Practices. If you would like to receive a copy of
our Privacy Practices brochure now, please ask your nurse or a staff member where you
signed in for your appointment. It is also available on the Wishard Web site:
[Link]. The brochure has complete information about your privacy rights and
how to obtain more information about your rights as designated by the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Important Message from Medicare
Your rights as a hospital patient:
You have the right to receive necessary hospital services covered by Medicare,
or covered by your Medicare Health Plan (your Plan) if you are a Plan enrollee.
You have the right to know about any decisions that the hospital, your doctor, your
Plan, or anyone else makes about your hospital stay and who will pay for it.
Your doctor, your Plan, or the hospital should arrange for services you will need after you
leave the hospital. Medicare or your Plan may cover some care in your home (home health
care) and other kinds of care, if ordered by your doctor or by your Plan. You have a right to
know about these services, who will pay for them, and where you can get them. If you
have any questions, talk to your doctor or Plan, or talk to other hospital personnel.
Your Hospital Discharge
& Medicare Appeal Rights
Date of Discharge
When your doctor or plan determines that you can be discharged from the hospital, you will
be advised of your planned date of discharge. You may appeal if you think that you are being
asked to leave the hospital too soon. If you stay in the hospital after your planned date of dis-
charge, it is likely that your charges for additional days in the hospital will not be covered by
Medicare or your Plan.
Your Right to an Immediate Appeal without Financial Risk
When you are advised of your planned date of discharge, if you think you are being asked to
leave the hospital too soon, you have the right to appeal to your Quality Improvement
Organization (also known as a QIO). The QIO is authorized by Medicare to provide a second
opinion about your readiness to leave. You may call Medicare toll-free, 24 hours a day, at 1-
800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or TTY/TTD: 1-877-486-2048, for more information on asking
your QIO for a second opinion. If you appeal to the QIO by noon of the day after you receive
a non-coverage notice, you are not responsible for paying for the days you stay in the hospi-
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tal during the QIO review, even if the QIO disagrees with you. The QIO will decide within one
day after it receives the necessary information.
Other Appeal Rights
If you miss the deadline for filing an immediate appeal, you may still request a review by the
QIO (or by your Plan, if you are a Plan enrollee) before you leave the hospital. However, you
will have to pay for the costs of your additional days in the hospital if the QIO (or your Plan)
denies your appeal. You may file for this review at the address or telephone number of the
QIO (or of your Plan).
Consent
Each patient or guardian must sign informed consent for treatment and/or operations. State
law prohibits Wishard from treating minors without the proper consent of the patients parent
or guardian, except in emergency cases and special situations. A minor is a person under
the age of 18. If a minor is married or in the military or has been emancipated by a court, he
or she can provide consent for his or her own healthcare.
Interpreters
Interpreter services can be provided to you during your hospital stay. Please tell the staff
assisting you if you need an interpreter. There may be an interpreter available in the hospital.
If one is not available, the staff can access a telephone interpretation service, via the Wishard
operator.
Interpreter services for hearing-impaired patients are also available, and special equipment is
available at no additional charge. Please ask your nursing staff for assistance.
Pain Management
There are many ways that your patient care team can help to effectively control your pain.
Please speak with your doctor or nurse about your pain at any time and ask questions about
pain and pain relief.
You have a right to
Information and answers to your questions about
pain and pain relief.
Feel that the staff cares and takes your complaints seriously.
A quick response when you report pain.
The best available pain relief treatment.
The services of a pain specialist if needed.
You have certain responsibilities
To talk to your doctor or nurse about:
; what to expect.
; different kinds of pain relief choices.
; a pain relief plan.
; any pain that wont go away
To ask for pain relief as soon as the pain begins.
To help doctors and nurses measure your pain.
How to talk about your pain
When you talk about pain, answer the following questions:
Where is the pain located?
Does the pain come and go or is it continuous?
Would you describe the pain as sharp, dull, aching,
throbbing, needles, etc.?
What makes the pain better?
What makes the pain worse?
Does the pain stop you from doing certain things like
bathing, dressing, tying your shoes, eating, etc.?
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Pain Intensity Scale
no moderate worst possible
pain pain pain
Medical Ethics
Modern medicine helps us provide patients with the most advanced care available today.
Still, sometimes it may be difficult to make decisions about your care. You may be faced
with choices and responsibilities that you have never thought about before. You may wish to
speak with an ethics consultant or a member of the Ethics Committee. If so, please ask a
member of your healthcare team to page the ethics consultant on call. You may also ask your
nurse or the hospital operator to page the chaplain or house supervisor on call to help you
contact the right person to assist you.
Advance Directives
It is your right to accept or refuse medical care, but there may come a time when you are
unable to make your own decisions due to an injury or illness. Advance Directives can pro-
tect your right to make decisions about future medical care if you ever become unable to
communicate your wishes. Advance Directives are instructions that you give in advance
about what type of medical care you want or whom you want to make medical decisions for
you if you are unable to communicate your wishes. In Indiana, written Advance Directives
include the living will, the durable power of attorney for healthcare, and the appointment of a
healthcare representative.
Please remember:
You have the right to control what medical treatment you will receive.
Even without a lawyer or a form, you can always tell your doctor and your family
what medical treatments you want or dont want.
No one can discriminate against you for signing or not signing an Advance Directive.
Using an Advance Directive is, however, your way to control your future medical treatment.
If you would like additional information on Advance Directives, Wishards Chaplaincy or
Social Work staffs are available to provide you with this information. They may be reached at
630-7000 (Chaplaincy) or 630-7086 (Social Work).
Billing
Wishard will bill your insurance company for services you have received. If a balance
remains after the insurance company has paid, you will be billed for the balance. If you do
not have insurance, you will receive a bill within 15 days from your discharge. You will also
receive an additional bill for physician fees for services such as anesthesiology, radiology,
pathology, etc. Services provided by physicians are not included in your hospital bill. Please
direct all inquires to these physicians. If you have questions regarding payment of your hos-
pital bill, please call Wishards Patient Inquiry Center at 630-7416 or
1-800-621-9602.
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Financial Counseling
and Patient Responsibility
Wishard Health Services is committed to offering high quality health care at little or no cost
to Marion County citizens who are unable to pay for their care. We ensure that payment for
services is made within the abilities of the individual patient.
If you do not have health insurance of any kind or cannot pay for your care, you will be asked
to talk with a financial counselor. (Patients needing emergency care will always receive care
right away, before discussing payment.) The financial counselor will explain the help avail-
able and see if you qualify for a program such as Medicare, Medicaid or Wishard Advantage.
The counselor will assist you in signing up for these programs and will answer any questions
that you may have.
If you or your family would like to talk with a financial counselor, please call Health
Connection at 655-2255 or Wishards Patient Inquiry Center at 630-7416 or 1-800-621-9603.
For More Information
Important Phone Numbers
To reach an outside line: *2 + number
Operator: 639-6671
Chaplaincy: 630-7000
Gift Shop: 630-6584
Health Connection: 655-2255
Information Desk: 630-7144
Patient Relations: 630-6676
Pharmacy, Primary Care Center: 656-3993
Social Work/Medical Management: 630-7086
TDD for Hearing Impaired: 630-2616
Television Service: 630-7657
Volunteer Services: 630-7552
1001 W. Tenth Street Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 639-6671 [Link]
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