Patients Rights

Respectful care

• Patients have the right to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of age, gender, religion or culture.
• Patients have the right to receive health care services and treatment with appropriate attention, competence & without unnecessary delay.
• Patients have the right to receive essential physical, moral & behavioural support from health practitioners and caregivers.

Safety

• Patients have the right to receive treatment in licensed facilities and practitioners who are licensed to practice in The State of Qatar.
• Patients have the right to expect safe and high-quality care.
• Patients have the right to receive care in a healthy, safe & secure environment that maintains essential hygiene, mandatory equipment, safe sterilization & a smoke-free environment.
• Patients have the right to receive care that is free from unethical behaviour, abuse or negligence.
• Patients have the right to be referred and/or transferred to another facility when medically required or upon the patient’s request when medically permissible.

Information

• Patients have the right, upon request, to be given the name of his attending physician, the names of all other physicians directly participating in his care, and the names and functions of other health care persons having direct contact with the patient.
• Patients have the right to concise complete and easily understood information about their diagnosis and treatment options (except when it is medically inadvisable to do so, in which case the information should be given to the patient’s guardian or representative).
• Patients have the right to be informed about the health facilities’ charges for the services available and available payment methods & to be informed about the immediate and long-term financial implications of the treatment choices.
• Patients have the right to request a copy of their medical records & medical reports (except when it is medically inadvisable to do so, in which case the information should be given to the patient’s guardian or representative).

Decision-making

• Patients have the right to participate in decisions about their care and treatment, including the right to refuse treatment (to the extent permitted by law). The patient’s consent or refusal must be documented in the patient’s medical record.
• Patients have the right to request a second opinion.
• Patients have the right to decide whether or not they want to take part in clinical training and medical research.

Privacy & confidentiality

• Patients have the right to have their personal information kept private and confidential (subject to disclosures necessary for medical care and administration) & be viewed only by the direct caregiver or authorized persons.
• Patients have the right to request a family member or nominate a support person to be present during examination and discussion of their case.
  Patients have the right to privacy & respect during physical examination & treatment.

Complaint

• Patients have the right to make a complaint if not satisfied about the care they received, to the healthcare facility management, if not resolved, patients have the right to make a complaint to Fitness to Practice Department / Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners.
• Patients have the right to expect that any complaint made to the service provider will be thoroughly and appropriately investigated in a timely manner and be informed of the outcome; and any appeals procedure which applies.

Patients Responsibilities

The Patients in recognition of the care and / or treatment being provided to treat a diagnosis agree to play their part in taking all reasonable steps to comply with any medical instruction which requires some responsibilities on the part of patients & their representatives.

Information

• Patients have a responsibility to give providers, to the best of their knowledge, complete and accurate information about their health and medical history, including current condition, past illnesses, hospital admissions, medications, and any other matters related to their health.
• Patients have a responsibility to ask questions if they do not understand any information or instructions & health education they are given.
  Following Treatment Plans
• Patients have a responsibility to cooperate with their care providers and follow instructions for their care.
• Patients accept personal responsibility if they choose not to accept treatment advice/change treatment plan without the treating physician’s approval.
• Patients have the right to informed consent in treatment decisions.
  Respect for Others
• Patients have a responsibility to treat providers, staff, other patients with dignity, honour and respect and to follow the provider’s rules and safety regulations.
• Patients have a responsibility to respect the privacy and confidentiality of others.

Keeping Appointments

• Patients are responsible for keeping appointments and notifying providers if they are unable to attend for any reason.
• When present at a healthcare facility patients must wait for the turn with patience so that care-givers can deliver their best to all the patients.

Financial Obligations

• Patients are responsible for attending to financial obligations associated with their care in a timely manner.
• Patients are responsible for providing, to the best of their knowledge, complete and accurate information about insurance claims associated with their treatment plan and to co-operate with the providers to make payment arrangements