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In a dental clinic you might have often come across a bill of patient rights posted on the wall. What If you didn't give it a proper read at that time but kept thinking about it afterwards. If you are still trying to figure out what the bill of patient right was all about then here is a synopsis of it.
In short but concise terms, a dental patient has the right-
1. to choose a dentist according to your preferences.
2. to know the rules of the profession, state and federal laws and ethics which govern the conduct of your dentist and his/her staff.
3. to schedule an appointment with your dentist in a professionally legitimate manner.
4. to be treated with civility, respect and the highest professional, moral and ethical conduct by your dentist and the staff at the dental clinic.
5. to a high standard of dental care and which can not be discriminated against him/her on the basis of class, ethnicity, religion, sex, age, national origin or disability.
6. to treatment which can be completed well within the stipulated time and without any errors.
7. to have a complete access to fully updated medical records related to your dental problems and the course of treatment undertaken. This also includes the risk in the treatment involved, all possible after-effects and any other alternative method of treatment. Patients are also granted the right to know what would be the possible consequences if he/she did not wish to opt for the specific treatment.
8. to know the optimal course of treatment, suitable for your case, from your dentist regardless of the cost of treatment to be incurred.
9. to know how much the treatment would eventually cost you and if there is a possibility of scaling down the costs in order to fit your available budget.
10. to decline any further treatment, which includes the one currently underway.
11. to obtain speedy emergency treatment as and when the need arises.
12. to expect from the dentist and his/her staff to follow all necessary sterilization and infection-controlling protocols.
13. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, to keep your medical records (involving both the diagnosis of the disease as well as its course of treatment) strictly confidential unless authorized by you to be shown to any concerned individual or agency (insurance firm).
What can dissatisfied patients do?
Patients who are dissatisfied with the treatment of their dentists can do the following:
* If you have a dispute regarding the bill of your treatment, it can be taken to the Better Business Bureau.
* Any other grievance can be taken to the local dental society/board or to the state dental regulator.
* If you are still not satisfied then you are allowed to seek legal assistance.
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