Patients' rights

Abstract

Once a patient and a doctor enter into a relationship, the doctor must do everything in his/her power to put the patient first and do his/her very best for the patient. Patients' rights are at the very center of medical and surgical practice. In this chapter, patients' rights are discussed under the following headings: right to the best treatment available, right to be told the truth, right to know all the facts about the medical problem, right to participate in making the decision about treatment, right to consent for every procedure, right to confidentiality and privacy, right to complain, right to know who the treating team is, right to have dignity preserved, right to have education about his/her problem, right to not be abandoned, and the right to refuse treatment. The rights and duties of the families of patients are also discussed.