Health care professionals can ensure that patients’ rights are upheld and protected by:

• Educating themselves about patients’ rights. There are a number of resources available to help health care professionals learn about patients’ rights, such as the American Medical Association’s Code of Medical Ethics and the American Hospital Association’s Bill of Patients’ Rights.
• Communicating with patients in a clear and understandable manner. Health care professionals should explain patients’ rights to them in a way that is easy to understand, and they should answer any questions that patients have.
• Obtaining informed consent from patients before performing any procedures or treatments. Informed consent means that the patient has a good understanding of the procedure or treatment, including the risks and benefits, and has made a voluntary decision to consent.
• Respecting patients’ privacy and confidentiality. Health care professionals should only share patients’ medical information with other health care professionals or with the patient’s consent.
• Providing patients with access to their medical records. Patients have the right to access their medical records upon request.
• Treating patients with respect and dignity. Health care professionals should treat all patients with respect and dignity, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic.

In addition to these general principles, there are a number of specific things that health care professionals can do to ensure that patients’ rights are upheld and protected. For example:

• When obtaining informed consent, health care professionals should make sure that the patient understands the following:
  • The nature of the procedure or treatment
  • The risks and benefits of the procedure or treatment
  • Any alternative procedures or treatments
  • The patient’s right to refuse treatment
• When providing patients with access to their medical records, health care professionals should make sure that the patient can understand the information in their records. This may involve providing the patient with a copy of their records in a language that they understand or explaining the information to the patient in a clear and concise manner.
• When treating patients with respect and dignity, health care professionals should avoid making assumptions about patients based on their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic. Health care professionals should also avoid using discriminatory language or behavior.

By following these principles and practices, health care professionals can help to ensure that patients’ rights are upheld and protected.

Here are some additional tips for health care professionals on how to ensure that patients’ rights are upheld and protected:

• Be aware of your own biases. Everyone has biases, but it is important to be aware of them so that they do not interfere with your ability to provide care to all patients fairly.
• Listen to patients and respect their concerns. Patients should feel comfortable talking to you about their medical needs and concerns without fear of judgment.
• Be transparent and honest with patients. Patients deserve to be kept informed about their care and to be told the truth about their condition, even if it is not good news.
• Advocate for patients. If you believe that a patient’s rights are being violated, speak up.
• Report any violations of patients’ rights to your supervisor or other appropriate authority. It is important to hold people accountable for violating patients’ rights.

By following these tips, health care professionals can play an important role in protecting patients’ rights.