Patient Rights

Overlake believes you have both the right and the responsibility to be an active participant in your healthcare. There are often difficult decisions that need to be made when dealing with your health. Overlake provides these resources in hopes that some of your decisions will be clearer and easily understood. If you are unclear about any decisions placed before you, ask your nurse or physician for further clarification and she or he will be able to assist you.

Advanced Directives

You have the right to make important decisions about your own healthcare. Federal law requires all Medicare and Medicaid-certified facilities to ensure that patients know they have the right to receive or refuse care, and to express these wishes in documents that are kept by the hospital. Overlake supports your right to be well informed and to make decisions about your care.

If you would like to know more, ask us for the free booklet "Starting Points." This booklet has information on living wills, durable powers of attorney, values statements and other resources for making your own healthcare decisions.

Difficult Decisions

Patients and families are often faced with difficult decisions during hospitalizations. If you have concerns regarding whether to start, stop or continue specific treatment, disagreement or misunderstandings among family members regarding decisions about a patient’s care or difficulty communicating with a patients’ caregiver, a team of specially trained individuals is available. You can request a consultation by asking your doctor, nurse, social worker or chaplain, or by calling 425-688-5235.

Organ Donation

State and federal law requires Overlake to ask families for consent for organ and tissue donation. We know it is important to allow the opportunity to those who wish to donate organs or tissue. Overlake staff is sensitive to the feelings of a grieving family. Organ and tissue donation is always voluntary and confidential.

If you want more information on organ or tissue donation, ask a staff member for the booklet, "Organ and Tissue Donation."

Washington State Death with Dignity Act/Initiative 1000

After careful, thoughtful discussion with our medical staff and Board of Trustees, Overlake Hospital Medical Center has chosen not to participate under the Washington State Death with Dignity Act. This means that during the course of their employment or service, Overlake employed or contracted physicians, employees, independent contractors and volunteers shall not assist a patient in ending the patient’s life in or on the premises of the hospital or in hospital-owned or operated facilities.

Overlake will continue to provide compassionate, high-quality care to all our patients. Any patient wishing to receive life-ending medication while a patient at this hospital will be assisted in transfer to another facility of the patient’s choice. The transfer will assure continuity of care.

Medical Records

Patients are granted the right to review their medical records by the Washington State Uniform Healthcare Information Act. You may request copies of all or any part of your medical record after you go home. Since your medical record is a legal document, it cannot be removed, deleted or altered. You can, however, request that your record be corrected or amended. For further information, please call the Release of Information Desk at 425-688-5643.

Feedback

In our continuous effort to provide Medical excellence every day™, we need to hear from patients and families about how we are doing. We want you to tell us what we are doing well and your areas of concern.

If you or your family has feedback for us, please tell your nurse. If you are uncomfortable telling your nurse, or you feel that your issue has not been resolved, ask to speak to the Charge Nurse or Manager or call the Patient Action Line at any time at 425-688-5191.

We appreciate your comments. All concerns are taken seriously. We will review your comments and take steps to resolve the issue.

Patient's Rights

When you receive services from Overlake Hospital Medical Center, you have the right to:

Considerate, respectful care and treatment at all times without regard to race, creed, sex, national origin or source of payment.
Be informed of your health status and involved in your care planning and decisions and in resolving dilemmas about care decisions that may occur.
Include participation of your family or representatives in care decisions when appropriate.
Have your spiritual needs met through chaplains, visiting clergy or qualified volunteers.
Make a complaint. This includes the right to contact the Department of Health at 1-800-633-6828 if you have concerns that have not been resolved to your satisfaction by the hospital.
Formulate advance directives, orders to withhold resuscitative services and/or forgo or withdraw life-sustaining treatment and have hospital staff complies with the directives.
Have family or your representative and physician notified promptly of any admission to the hospital.
Be free from any form of restraints (physical or chemical) when they are used as a form of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation.
Appropriate assessment and management of pain.
Accept or refuse to participate in research studies.
Privacy when being interviewed, examined and treated.
Confidentiality of your health care information and to expect that all information shared will be done so according to federal and state laws and regulations.
Review all or any part of your medical record and, upon request, receive a copy of all or any part of your medical record, and to request an amendment or correction in your medical record.
Expect reasonable safety insofar as hospital practices and environment are concerned and to access protective services when considered necessary for your personal safety.
Be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
Have access to people outside of the hospital—this includes visitors and/or by verbal and written communication.
Refuse to see anyone not officially connected with the hospital or your care.
Have the services of an interpreter (when available) and/or access to telecommunication devices for the deaf if you do not speak or understand the language of the community.
Be transferred to another facility only after you have received a complete explanation of the need for such a transfer.
Receive information about continuing health care requirements following your discharge.
Know who is responsible for authorizing and performing any procedures or treatment.
Receive an itemized and detailed explanation of your hospital bill when requested.

Responsibilities

When you receive services from Overlake Hospital Medical Center, you have the responsibility to:

Provide, to the best of your ability, accurate and complete details about your past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and present conditions.
Tell your doctor about a change in your condition or problems that arise.
Tell your doctor or nurse if you do not understand your treatment or what you are expected to do.
Pay your bill promptly or tell the hospital if you are unable to pay your bill.
Notify the hospital about whom is responsible for your bill if you are not paying.