Miami Children's Hospital has a responsibility to provide your child with appropriate medical care. The following is a set of guiding principles of patient care. It is important for you to know what your child's rights are as a patient and what your rights and obligations are as a parent and user of this hospital. We encourage you to talk with those involved with your child's care.

You and your child have the right:

1. To considerate, respectful care and to privacy consistent with the care prescribed. This includes consideration of the psychosocial, spiritual, and cultural variables that influence the perceptions of illness.
2. To receive care in a safe, well protected environment, conducive to emotional and physical well being.
3. To know by name the physicians, nurses and staff members responsible for your child's care; to receive responses to questions and requests; and, to receive information regarding your child's diagnosis, the treatment prescribed, the prognosis of the illness, and any instruction required for follow-up care, in language you understand.
4. To know what patient support services are available to you and your child.
5. To request a consultation or second opinion from another physician; to change physicians; to change hospitals.
6. To participate in decisions regarding the medical care of your child. To the extent permitted by law, this includes the right to refuse consent for treatment; to cross out and initial any part of a consent form that you do not want applied to your child's care; to withdraw consent, and to be informed of the consequences of these actions.
7. To have appropriate assessment and management of pain.
8. To participate in the consideration of ethical issues arising in the care of your child through the Hospital Bioethics Committee.
9. To expect all communications and other records pertaining to your child's care, including the source of payment for treatment, to be kept confidential except as needed for proper treatment and hospital administration, or as authorized by appropriate consent, or otherwise provided by law or third party payment contract.
10. To be informed of the hospital's policies regarding payment; to request, prior to treatment, an estimate of charges for medical care; and to request information and counseling on the availability of known financial resources for your child's care.
11. To receive an itemized bill, and to request an explanation of the charges.
12. To have access to your medical records within a reasonable time frame.
13. To have access to the medical resources of the hospital indicated for your child's care without regard to race, national origin, religion, disability, or source of payment.
14. To treatment for emergency medical conditions that will deteriorate from failure to receive treatment.
15. For information about medical treatment given for the purpose of research, or research being conducted in addition to medical treatment; and, to refuse to participate in research, with the assurance that care will not be adversely affected by such a refusal.
16. As an adult patient, age 18 or older, you have the right to receive information regarding advance directives.
17. To express concerns or complaints regarding these rights or the quality of care and service provided by Miami Children's Hospital to the Patient/Family Services Department.

You have the responsibility:

1. To follow the policies of the hospital and the specific unit. Parents or other responsible adults should accompany minor children on any hospital visit and observe all hospital rules.
2. To provide, to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present condition, including any symptoms, past illnesses, hospitalizations, medications and other matters relating to your child's health; and, to report unexpected changes in your child's condition.
3. To notify your child's physician or nurse if you do not understand a diagnosis, treatment or prognosis; and, to ask for clarification if you do not understand papers you are asked to sign.
4. To cooperate and to follow the care prescribed or recommended for your child by the physician, nurses or allied health personnel.
5. To keep your appointments and to be on time. When an appointment cannot be kept the hospital or the clinic should be notified as soon as possible to cancel the appointment and arrange for a new one.
6. For your actions and their consequences if you refuse treatment for your child or do not follow the physician's instructions.
7. To assure that the financial obligations associated with your child's care are fulfilled as promptly as possible.
8. To be considerate of the rights of other patients and hospital personnel by assisting in the control of noise, the number of visitors your child receives, and by observing the no smoking policy. You are welcome to stay in your child's room provided the rules and regulations are adhered to. Parents of patients in the Intensive Care Units and in the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit are encouraged to visit their child. However, in order to respect the unique needs of children who require our most intensive care, parents may not spend the night at the bedside.
9. To advise your nurse, physician, or any members of your health care team of any dissatisfaction you may have with your child's care.

The Patient/Family Services Department is responsible for pursuing and/or referring any questions, concerns, complaints or grievances you may have about your rights or the quality of care and service provided by Miami Children's Hospital. You may contact the Patient/Family Services staff directly at extension 2455, or ask any staff member to contact them on your behalf. If this is an emergency, please call the hospital operator (dial 0) and ask for them to beep the Operations Administrator. We will gladly address any issues or concerns that you may have regarding your child's care.