Patients’ Rights & Responsibilities

As a patient at Kohala Hospital, you have the right to:

  1. Be informed of your rights prior to, or at the time of admission in a language you fully understand
  2. Be informed about hospital rules you must follow that affect you and your treatment
  3. Be informed about established daily visiting hours
  4. Be informed about available services and related charges in or through the facility
  5. Have your medical condition and treatment discussed with you by a physician of your choice, unless medically contraindicated
  6. Be afforded the opportunity to participate in planning your medical treatment
  7. Refuse or consent to participate in experimental research
  8. Refuse treatment after being informed of the medical consequences of that refusal
  9. Be transferred or discharged only for your or other patients’ welfare, or other causes as determined by the medical director, and be given reasonable advance notice to ensure orderly transfer or discharge
  10. Voice grievances and recommend changes in policies and services to the facility’s staff; and to do so free from restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal from hospital staff
  11. Be allowed to manage your personal financial affairs; or in the event the facility agrees to manage your personal funds, the delegation shall be in writing, and the conditions under which the facility will exercise the responsibility shall be explained to you
  12. Be free of humiliation, harassment, injury, or threat, and be free from chemical and physical restraints except as authorized by a physician or in an emergency when necessary to protect you from injuring yourself or others
  13. Be entitled to have your personal and medical records kept confidential and subject to release only as provided by law
  14. Review your medical records, except when restricted by law, and to have the information explained, with access in as reasonable time as our record keeping system permits
  15. Be treated with consideration, respect, and full recognition of dignity and individuality, including privacy in treatment and care
  16. Associate and communicate privately with persons of your choice, and to send and receive your personal mail unopened unless medically contraindicated. At your request, be visited by members of the clergy at any time
  17. Be assured privacy for visits. Be permitted to share a room if available and not medically contraindicated, if admitted to the facility as a couple
  18. Meet with and participate in activities of social, religious, and community groups at your discretion unless medically contraindicated
  19. Retain and use your personal clothing and possessions as space permits, unless to do so would infringe upon rights of other patients, or unless medically contraindicated
  20. Not be required to perform services for the facility, its licensee or staff that are not included for therapeutic purposes in your plan of care
  21. Receive discharge planning by qualified hospital staff to ensure appropriate post-hospital placement
  22. Expect that hospital staff and practitioners will adhere to your advance directives if you provide them in writing
  23. Expect care providers to give you information about pain and pain relief measures, to respond quickly to your reports and expressions of pain, and to manage your pain at a level of comfort that is acceptable to you

As a partner in your health care, you have the following responsibilities:

  1. Provide accurate and complete information about your present and past medical condition
  2. Follow the rules and regulations
  3. Follow the treatment plan agreed upon by you and your health care practitioner
  4. Let your health care practitioner know if you do not understand or cannot follow the treatment plan
  5. Meet your financial commitments
  6. Show respect and consideration