A family enjoying their time in the living room

Patient Privacy & Rights

Patient Privacy and Rights at Emory Healthcare

The employees and medical staff of Emory Healthcare recognize that you are an individual with unique needs and perspectives. The following reflects your rights and responsibilities as we work with you to provide your care.

You have a right to:

  • Participate in the development and implementation of your plan of care
  • Make informed decisions regarding your care
  • Know who is responsible for coordinating your care; know the identity of each member of your health care team
  • Receive considerate and respectful care without discrimination based on age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, as well as source of payment for care
  • Expect care to be given in an environment free from neglect, exploitation, and verbal, mental, physical and sexual abuse
  • Participate in the development and implementation of your pain management plan
  • Ask for and receive complete and understandable information about your condition and care, tailored to your age and ability to understand
  • Receive information in a manner that meets your needs when you are impaired by vision, speech, hearing, language barriers or cognitive impairments
  • Request and/or refuse treatment, with the right to receive a clear explanation of the consequences of refusal of treatment
  • Have access to treatment facilities that are available and medically indicated
  • Request auxiliary aids when necessary for effective communication
  • Receive respect for your cultural, religious, and spiritual preferences, personal values and beliefs, and social needs
  • Be free from humiliation
  • Request and receive pastoral counseling
  • Formulate advance directives and expect hospital staff will honor these directives
  • Have a family member or representative of your choice notified promptly of your admission to the hospital
  • Have your physician notified promptly of your admission to the hospital
  • Have a family member, friend or other individual present during your stay to visit or provide support, unless their presence interferes with other’s safety, is medically contraindicated, or interferes with someone else’s rights
  • Have a family member involved in decisions about care, treatment and services
  • Have a surrogate decision maker if you are unable to make decisions on your own; the surrogate decision maker has the right to refuse care, treatment and services on your behalf
  • Have a right to personal privacy and receive private and confidential care
  • Be free from any restraint or seclusion that is not clinically necessary, unless it is necessary in an emergency to ensure your immediate physical safety, or the safety of others
  • Be free from restraint/seclusion used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation by staff
  • Expect reasonable continuity of care and coordination of patient care services when discharging home or transferring to another facility or agency
  • Choose whether you receive any experimental treatments or procedures; be able to understand and consent to participation in experimental therapies or research
  • Request and receive information contained in your medical record within reasonable time frame, as well as request to make changes to the medical record
  • Expect confidentiality of information in your medical record will be maintained
  • Ask for and receive guidance from the Hospital Ethics Committee as well as participate in discussions about ethical issues arising from your plan of care
  • Voice concerns to hospital staff, medical staff, or patient and family advocate without fear of reprisal or discrimination
  • Have access to protective or advocacy services
  • Have issues addressing autopsy and organ donation conducted in a sensitive manner
  • Receive an explanation of your bill
  • Request assistance for concerns, or file a formal grievance with Patient Relations and receive a written response
  • Utilize the hospital’s grievance process instead of, or in addition to filing a complaint with:
The Georgia Department of Community Health

2 MLK Jr Drive, SE
East Tower
Atlanta, GA 30334
800-878-6442

Online: https://dch.georgia.gov/hfrd-file-complaint
The Joint Commission Office of Quality and Patient Safety

One Renaissance Blvd.
Oakbrook Terrace
IL 60181
1-800-994-6610

Online: https://apps.jointcommission.org/qmsinternet/incidententry.aspx
Ambulatory Surgery complaints

Ambulatory Surgery complaints may be filed with the office of Medicare Ombudsman at 1-800-MEDICARE or 800-633-4227

Office of Civil Rights, Department of Health and Human Services

200 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 509F, HHH Building
Washington, DC 20201
1-800-368-1019

hhs.qov/civil-riqhts/filinq-a-complaint/index.html
  • The patient has the right to file a grievance with the Georgia Composite Medical Boar d, concerning the physician, staff, office and treatment received. The patient should send a writt en complaint to the board. The patient should be able t o provide the physician or practice name, the address, and the specific natur e of the complaint. Complaints or grievances may be reported to the Boar d at the following address or telephone number:
Georgia Composite Medical Board

Two MLK Jr Drive, SE
East Tower, 1 floor
Atlanta, GA 30334
404-656-3913

medicalboar d.georgia.gov/consumer-resources/file-complaint

It is the right of Emory Healthcare to expect reasonable and responsible behavior by all patients and their visitors.

All patients at Emory Healthcare have the responsibilities below: 

  • Provide complete and accurate health, medical and insurance information, including an advance directive, if available
  • Be considerate and respectful of other patients, hospital staff and hospital property, and encourage their visitors to do the same
  • Maintain civil language and conduct
  • Respect and follow hospital rules including those that prohibit offensive, threatening, and/a abusive language or behavior, and to ensure patient safety, privacy and comfort
  • Understand that language and actions that are threatening, abusive, or disrespectful will not be tolerated, and may affect access to the facility
  • Be aware that it is a felony to assault a health care worker.
  • Ask questions when in doubt
  • Communicate changes in their health and/or condition to their caregivers
  • Inform the staff of pain so that it can be assessed and treated
  • Follow their caregivers’ instructions or discuss with them any obstacles they may have in complying with their prescribed treatment plan, which may include being directed to find another physician or health care facility
  • Accept the consequences and responsibility for refusing treatment or not following their prescribed treatment plan
  • Be aware that their right to be involved in their plan of care does not include receiving medically unnecessary treatment
  • Follow the guidelines about the use of cameras
  • Meet financial obligations associated with the health care services received
View Emory's patient notice of privacy practices

Patient Relations/Advocacy Information

The Patient Relations/Advocacy email box and phone numbers are monitored during normal weekday business hours (8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) excluding after hours, holidays, or weekends. If you need immediate assistance, please call the local Emory Healthcare facility you are attempting to reach and ask to speak with the charge nurse on the inpatient unit (if you or a loved one are currently admitted), or ask to speak with the local Nursing Supervisor. Otherwise, a representative from our Patient Relations/Advocacy team will respond to your email or voicemail within 24-48 hours during normal weekday business hours. We appreciate your patience. Please identify the patient's full name and date of birth so we can easily locate them in our system.

 

Care Partner/Visitor Policy Information

If you are inquiring about an exception to our care partner/visitor policy, please see the information about our policy on our Visitor Policy page. All visitor exception requests should be routed through the patient's nursing and provider care teams. Please call the clinic or hospital care units for this information.

Notice to Patients About Potential Scams

Please be aware of potential fraudulent phone calls or emails, such as requesting saliva samples or other types of medical testing. If you receive a communication that seems suspicious, we encourage you to contact your physician’s office directly to verify its legitimacy. Your safety and privacy are our priority. Thank you for helping us protect our community.

Links in this Section
Patient & Visitors