Patient Rights & Responsibilities

As a KDMC patient, you have certain rights. Those rights include:

Respect and Dignity. You have the right to be treated with dignity and respect. KDMC respects your cultural and personal values, beliefs and preferences as well as your right to religious and other spiritual services. We prohibit discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioencomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
You have the right to choose to have a family member, friend, or other individual present with you for emotional support during the course of your stay (as long as this person’s presence does not infringe on others’ rights, safety, or is medically or therapeutically contraindicated). This person may also be your surrogate-decision maker or legally authorized representative. We will notify your family and physician of your admission to the hospital and will involve them in your care, treatment and services decisions to the extent permitted by you or your surrogate and applicable laws and regulations.
Personal Privacy. To the extent possible, KDMC will make efforts to ensure you talk with your doctors, nurses, social workers, or other health care providers in private. Your personal information is shared only with those persons who need the information to perform their job.
Visitation. You may designate and receive visitors including a spouse, a domestic partner, another family member, or a friend. You can withdraw or deny persons visitation at any time.
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation, including Verbal, Mental, and Physical abuse. KDMC reports allegations, observations and suspected cases of neglect, exploitation, and abuse to appropriate authorities based on our evaluation of the suspected events or as required by law.
Protective Services. If you need protective services (for example guardianship or advocacy services, conservatorship, or child or adult protective services) KDMC provides resources to help your family and the court(s) to determine your need for such services.
Pain management. Your pain will be assessed throughout your stay. You, your family, your physician and your treatment team will develop an individualized, appropriate plan to manage your pain.
Decision Making. You have the right to be involved in decisions about your care, treatment and services, including, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, the right to refuse care, treatment and services. When you are unable to make decisions about your care, treatment, and services, we will involve a surrogate-decision maker in making these decisions. Your surrogate-decision maker, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, can refuse care, treatment, and services on your behalf. You have the right to know the names of the individuals responsible for your care, treatment and services.
Informed Consent. You have the right to informed consent about your proposed care, treatment, and services, including any potential risks, benefits, and side effects, the likelihood of achieving your goals, any potential problems that might arise during recuperation, reasonable alternatives and risks related to not receiving care, treatment and services. You (or your surrogate decision-maker) may give or withhold informed consent.
Effective Communication. You should receive information in a manner that is tailored to your age, language, and ability to understand. KDMC has interpreter/translation services available as well as resources for patients who have vision, speech, hearing and/or cognitive impairments.
Protected Health Information. KDMC protects your protected health information contained in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. You may access, request amendment(s) to, and obtain information about disclosures of your health information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. If we use your recordings, films, or other images for purposes other than for your identification, diagnosis, or treatment (for example for performance improvement or education), we will honor your right to give or withhold consent and will obtain your consent (if you are able to give consent) prior to using this information.
Advance Directives/End of Life Treatment/Organ Donation. During your stay, KDMC will ask if you if you have advance directives in place. You may formulate, review, and revise your advance directives. We will honor advance directives in accordance with applicable laws and regulations to the extent we are able to do so. When appropriate and/or requested you will receive information about care, treatment, and services received at the end of life. This includes information about advance directives, forgoing or withdrawing life-sustaining treatment and withholding resuscitative services. We will document your wishes regarding organ donation when you make those wishes known to us and will honor those wishes in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Research, Investigations, and Clinical Trials. Prior to participating in research, investigations, or clinical trials we will provide you with information in order for you to determine whether you want to participate in such activities. Refusing to participate or discontinuing participation in research, investigations, or clinical trials will not affect your access to care, treatment, or services unrelated to the research.
Grievance Process. You and your family have the right to have your complaints reviewed through our complaint resolution processes.

Patient Responsibilities

As a KDMC patient, you have certain responsibilities. Those responsibilities include:

Providing Information. You are responsible for providing information to your treatment team that facilitates your care, treatment and services including whether you think you are at risk and/or your health has changed, information about advanced directives (living will and/or durable power of attorney for health care) and who will speak for you if you are unable to speak for yourself.
Accepting Responsibility. You are responsible for following the treatment plan that is developed by you and your treatment team including following recommendations in your treatment plan regarding exercise, tobacco use and eating a healthy diet.
Asking Questions. You are responsible for asking questions about anything you do not understand including expectations of you, and potential risks, benefits, and side effects of your treatment. You are responsible asking questions or acknowledging when you do not understand your treatment course or care decisions.
Displaying Consideration and Respect. You are expected to be respectful at all times to other patients and visitors. You are further expected to support mutual consideration and respect by maintaining civil language and conduct in interactions with staff and licensed independent practitioners.
Following Instructions, Rules, and Regulations. You are responsible for following instructions, policies, rules, and regulations in place in order to support quality care and a safe environment for all individuals in the hospital.
Meeting Financial Commitments. You are responsible for making a good faith effort to pay your medical bills in a timely fashion. For assistance, please call (606) 408-4118.

If your concerns are not resolved at King’s Daughters, you are encouraged to contact the Joint Commission. You may contact the Joint Commission’s Office of Quality and Patient Safety to report any concerns or register complaints by phone at 1-800-994-6610 or by email at patientsafetyreport@jointcommission.org.

If you or anyone else wishes to file a written or verbal complaint about the quality of care provided by King's Daughters, you may do so by contact:

If you are receiving care in Kentucky

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services Office of Inspector General
275 E. Main Street, 5E-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
Telephone: (502) 654-5497
Fax: (502) 564-6546

If you are receiving care in Ohio

Complaints can be submitted to Ohio Department of Health (ODH) using the following methods:

Ohio Department of Health Complaint Unit
246 N. High Street
Columbus, OH 43215
Telephone: 1-800-342-0553 or 1-800-669-3534 Home Health Hotline
Fax: (614) 564-2422
Email: HCComplaints@odh.ohio.gov

For all beneficiary complaints and quality of care reviews, please contact:
KEPRO BFCC QIO (Area 4)
5201 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Suite 900
Tampa, FL 33609
Phone: 813.280.8256
Fax: 844.834.7130 (Area 4)