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.
It is your responsibility...
- 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.