Patient Rights & Responsibilities

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.

See our flyer on patients rights, the Americans with Disabilities Act, our translation assistance and anti-discrimination compliance.

Patient Rights Policies

• Admission Policy
• Advance Directives
• Death with Dignity
• Mental Health Advance Directives
• Withholding or Withdrawing Life-Sustaining Treatment
• Workplace Harassment

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 Medical Center has decided not to participate under the Washington State Death with Dignity Act in the in-patient areas of the hospital. We will, in certain out-patient provider based departments and specialty physician clinics, allow participation by those physicians. This means, with the exception of Overlake Senior Care Clinic, Overlake Oncology Clinic, Overlake Pulmonary Clinic and Overlake Cardiology Clinic, 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.

Interpreter Services

At Overlake, we want you to get your health information in a way that you understand. We will arrange for an interpreter or other aids to you, your family member or companion who is deaf, hard of hearing or has speech disabilities. These services are free to you.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people who are deaf, are hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities have the right to ask for aids and services.

If you need such aids or services, call the Interpreter Services office at 425.688.5304. If you are told that you do not qualify for the service, you can ask for a review. To request a review:

• Write down why you need this aid or service. If you need help, the office staff will help you write it.
• If you need more help, contact the Patient Experience Department at 425.688.5820.

For more information about the ADA:

• Call: toll-free ADA Information Line at 1.800.514.0301 (voice), 1.800.514.0383 (TTY) or
• On the web: ada.gov

Feedback / Report Concerns

In our continuous effort to fulfill our mission: Compassionate care for every life we touch, 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 Advocate line at any time at 425.688.5191 or via email. You may also reach out with compliments or complaints via our website's contact us form.

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

You also have the right to contact:

• Washington State Department of Health: 1.800.633.6828
• The Joint Commission: 1.800.994.6610
• Livanta: 1.877.588.1123

Our Patient's Rights

When you receive services from Overlake Medical Center, you have the RIGHT:

• To receive information in a way that you can understand. You can have an interpreter free of charge or access to a telecommunication device for the deaf or hard of hearing.
• To have family or your representative and your physician be told of your admission to the hospital.
• To be treated with dignity, respect and care without regard to age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression.
• To be told of your health status and to include your family or representative in planning your care, and to discuss and resolve care issues.
• To have you or your representative make informed decisions about your care.
• To receive visitors of your choice unless it is clinically necessary to restrict visitors. 
• To make advance directives if you are an adult and to have your advance directives respected and followed. You have the right to refuse resuscitation or other life-sustaining treatments.
• To know who is responsible for your care, and who is performing a procedure or treatment.
• To accept or refuse the care and treatment offered.
• To have personal privacy.
• To give or withhold consent to produce or use recordings, films or other images of you for purposes other than your care.
• To pastoral care or other spiritual services.
• To be free from all abuse, neglect, exploitation or harassment.
• To be free from restraints or seclusion unless needed for your own safety or the safety of others.
• To expect reasonable safety and access to protective services when necessary for your personal safety and security.
• To accept or refuse to be in a research study.
• To be informed of unexpected outcomes of care, treatment or services.
• To a copy of all or any part of your medical record.
• To keep your medical record confidential and to ask for an amendment or correction to your medical record.
• To access information on any disclosures of your medical record.
• To be sent to another facility after you have received a complete explanation of the need for such a transfer.
• To receive information about your treatment needs after your discharge.
• To make a complaint about your care without fear of retribution or denial of care. You may contact the Patient Advocate at 425.688.5191 of via email. You may also contact the Washington Department of Health at 1.360.236.4700 or the Joint Commission at 1.800.994.6610. If you have a Medicare beneficiary and have a complaint, you may contact Qualis Health at 1.800.445.6941. You have a right to a timely response on your concerns.
• To end of life care.
• To donate tissues and organs after consultation with medical staff and your representative.
• To receive an itemized and detailed explanation of your hospital bill when requested.

Responsibilities

When you receive services from Overlake Medical Center, you have the RESPONSIBILITY:

• To provide accurate and complete details about your illness, hospitalization and medications.
• To tell your doctor about a change in your condition or if problems arise.
• To tell your doctor or nurse if you do not understand your treatment or what you are expected to do.
• To follow instructions and rules of the hospital to ensure your safety and the safety of others.
• To maintain appropriate and civil conduct in interactions with physicians and staff.
• To give accurate information about insurance or other business matters.
• To pay your bill promptly and tell the hospital if you need to make special payment arrangements.