Rights and Responsibilities

As a patient, you have both rights and responsibilities when interacting with members of your healthcare team.

You have the right...

To be treated with respect and courtesy.
To be your own advocate, or to bring an advocate with you.
To be kept fully informed, and to have things explained to you in language you can understand.
To be informed of all possible treatment options available at your centre or at other facilities, including clinical trials.
To be allowed, and even helped, to obtain a second opinion if you want.
To be given the opportunity to participate in treatment decision making, including the right to refuse any treatment you do not want.
To receive copies of your records, such as lab results, X-rays, and test results, at a reasonable cost (e.g., the cost of copying), at your request.

To be completely truthful and forthcoming, without withholding any information.
To speak up if you aren’t happy or don’t understand. (It helps to be tactful when doing so.)
To try to learn about your condition and treatments, so you can participate in decision making.
To comply with any mutually agreed-upon treatment plan.
To treat the members of your healthcare team with respect and courtesy.