Your Rights as a Patient

You have legal rights when you go to a hospital, nursing home, doctor, or other medical caregiver. Usually these rights include the following:

• The right to keep your medical records private
• The right to know what medical care your doctor recommends if you are sick or hurt
• The right to refuse all or part of any medical care you do not want

Sometimes, because of a sickness or injury, you may not be able to let people know your feelings about these rights. For that reason, you may wish to have a paper called an "Advanced Directive." It tells your doctor and other caregivers what you want if you need care when you are not able to speak for yourself.