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The dignity, privacy, and self-determination of patients are guaranteed by ensuring access to information. The patient's right to be informed is essential in creating a confidential treatment relationship between the patient and the health care professionals.
Patient's right to receive information
A patient is entitled to receive information about their state of health, treatment, treatment alternatives, and the effects of treatment. Information about treatment and treatment alternatives must be volunteered without prompting from the patient and explained in such a way that is understood by the patient. The patient also has the right to refuse this information.
Understanding the importance of the patient’s right to receive information is essential in creating a confidential relationship between a patient and the health care personnel.
Patient's right to review data entered in patient documents
A patient has the right to check the data concerning themselves that has been entered into patient documents. The requested data must be provided without undue delay. When a patient wishes to exercise their right to review data entered into patient documents, the documents can be made available to the patient in the presence of a professional care provider. Upon request, the data must be delivered in writing. A fee may only be charged if less than a year has passed since the patient last reviewed data entered in patient documents.
Disclosure of patient documents
The information contained in patient documents is confidential. Persons employed in the health care sector are not at liberty to disclose any information contained in patient documents to outsiders without written permission from the patient or the patient's legal representative. An outsider is a person who does not participate in the care of the patient or any related tasks. The patient retains the right to withdraw any given permission at any time.
Data concerning a patient may be disclosed to outsiders without written consent from the patient or their legal representative when the party requesting the information is an authority with a statutory right to request patient documents.
The laws, decrees, regulations, responsibilities, and practices governing the compilation and maintenance of patient records have been described in detail in the attached patient record specification.