Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

You Have the Right to...

Respectful and safe care.

Kennedy Krieger staff will:

• Give compassionate care in a safe setting.
• Provide access to protective and advocacy services.
• Treat you fairly regardless of things like race, color, culture, ethnicity, national origin, age, language spoken, accent, marital status, veteran or military status, immigration status, socioeconomic status (i.e., access to resources), physical or mental disability, genetic information, religion, pregnancy status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender, gender identity or expression. This statement is based on guidance from accreditation organizations and regulatory agencies.
• Make sure you do not experience neglect, mistreatment, or verbal, mental, physical or sexual abuse.
• Only use restraints or seclusion when needed for safety.

Information About Your Care

Kennedy Krieger staff will:

• Keep you updated about your care, diagnosis, test results, outcomes and care plan, and unanticipated outcomes of care. Have your provider and/or a family notified when you are admitted, transferred or discharged from the hospital.
• Communicate in a way that you can understand. Staff members will meet your communication needs, with any support you may require—such as interpreters and/or vision, speech and hearing assistance—provided at no cost to you.
• Provide you with instructions for accessing your medical records.

Participate in your care.

• You (and others you may choose) may participate in care, treatment, services and discharge decisions.
• You may refuse any care to the extent of the law. If you refuse care, we will still treat you or refer you as needed.
• You will have your pain screened, assessed and managed, as appropriate.
• As an inpatient, you may choose to receive visitors and identify who may visit.
• To ensure the health and safety of all, we may need to limit or restrict visitors, to the extent of the law.

Make informed decisions about your care.

If you are 18 years of age or older:

• You can make healthcare decisions for yourself ahead of time with an advance directive.
• If you do not have an advance directive, we can help you complete one. Contact our Social Work Department at 443-923-2800 for assistance.

Know Who Is on Your Healthcare Team

• You will be provided with the names and roles of everyone involved in your care.
• Your care team will coordinate your treatment throughout the hospital.
• You may refuse observations by others not directly on your care team.

Know What Your Care Will Cost

• By receiving an estimate of hospital charges before care is provided, as long as care is not delayed.

Privacy & Confidentiality.

Kennedy Krieger staff will:

• Offer you a copy of the HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.
• Protect your privacy and confidentiality during care discussions, exams, and treatments.
• Keep communications about your care and records confidential to the extent of the law.
• Share your health record only with those whom you request it shared. You may change this list at any time.
• Ask for your permission to take photos of you for purposes other than assisting in evaluation, treatment, and record documentation.

Review Your Medical Record

• Your provider will review your medical record with you upon request.
• You may ask to correct or add information, according to Maryland law.
• You may request a copy of your medical record from our Health Information Management department at ReleaseOfInformation@KennedyKrieger.org or 443-923-1825.

Consult With Our Ethics Committee

• You may seek guidance and advice regarding challenging decisions about your care, treatment and services.
• Contact the Ethics Committee at 443-923-7686 for more information.

Express Concerns About Your Care

• Contact Patient Relations at 443-923-2777 for help.
• If you voice your concerns, your care will not be affected.
• If you are not satisfied with the solutions you may also contact:

Your have the responsibility to:

Be Honest, Respectful and Responsible

• Kennedy Krieger expects you to follow hospital rules and instructions and honor financial commitments.
• Mutual respect encourages good communication.
• Mutual respect also helps ensure safe, high-quality care.

Communicate and Share Information

• Share complete information about your health and other requested information.
• Speak openly with your healthcare team.
• Ask questions if there is anything you do not understand.
• Give us a copy of your advance directive or ask for help with preparing one.

Respect Appointments and Treatments

• Be on time for appointments, and call as soon as possible if you need to cancel.
• Follow your treatment plan.
• Pay for any services for which you are responsible.

Show Consideration for Others

• Show consideration for hospital staff members, as well as for other patients and their family members and belongings.
• Respect the privacy of others by not sharing information you may have overheard, and by not talking about what you may have seen regarding other patients and their family members.
• Do not take photos, videos or recordings of—or post on social media about—staff members or other patients and their family members and visitors.
• Refrain from unacceptable language and behaviors that are disruptive or which pose a threat to the rights or safety of other patients, visitors and staff
  members.
• Violators may be escorted out of the facility and may be subject to the loss of privileges.

Leave Valuables at Home

• Kennedy Krieger is not—and cannot be—responsible for any valuables brought on-site.

Download the Patient Bill of Rights and Responsibilities

For help with or more information about these rights and responsibilities, you may contact Kennedy Krieger’s Patient Relations at 443-923-2777. 

Culture of Safety: Code of Conduct for Patients and Visitors

Download the Culture of Safety: Code of Conduct for Patients and Visitors (PDF)