HEPATITIS B VACCINATION: A vaccination for those who
are not immune to Hepatitis B. Admission blood work will
determine if you will need the vaccine. Hepatitis is a virus
infection that causes liver disease. It is spread by contact with
the blood of an infected person.
B. Be informed of Your Patient Rights
This Condition requires your dialysis unit to provide respect,
privacy, information, and appropriate services for their patients.
You will also receive information about how to file a complaint/
grievance either at your unit or with an outside agency.
The dialysis facility must inform patients (or their
representatives) of their rights (including their privacy rights)
and responsibilities when they begin their treatment (within 6
treatments) and must protect and provide for the exercise of
those rights. This is often repeated annually in many facilities.
Standard: Patients’ rights. The patient has the right to:
1. Respect, dignity, and recognition of his or her individuality
and personal needs, and sensitivity to his or her
psychological needs and ability to cope with ESRD;
2. Receive all information in a way that he or she can
understand;
3. Privacy and confidentiality in all aspects of treatment;
4. Privacy and confidentiality in personal medical records;
5. Be informed about and participate, if desired, in all
aspects of his or her care, and be informed of the right to
refuse treatment, to discontinue treatment, and to refuse
to participate in research;
6. Be informed about his or her right to execute advance
directives, and the facility’s policy regarding advance
directives;
7. Be informed about all treatment modalities and settings,
including but not limited to, transplantation, home
dialysis modalities (home hemodialysis, intermittent
peritoneal dialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal
dialysis, continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis), and in-
facility hemodialysis. The patient has the right to receive
resource information for dialysis modalities not offered
by the facility, including information about alternative
scheduling options for working patients;
8. Be informed of facility policies regarding patient care,
including, but not limited to, isolation of patients;
9. Be informed of facility policies regarding the reuse of
dialysis supplies, including hemodialyzers;
10. Be informed by the physician, nurse practitioner, clinical
nurse specialist, or physician’s assistant treating the
patient for ESRD of his or her own medical status as
documented in the patient’s medical record, unless the
medical record contains a documented contraindication;
11. Be informed of services available in the facility and
charges for services not covered under Medicare;
12. Receive the necessary services outlined in the patient
plan of care described in § 494.90;
13. Be informed of the rules and expectations of the facility
regarding patient conduct and responsibilities;
14. Be informed of the facility’s internal grievance process;
15. Be informed of external grievance mechanisms and
processes, including how to contact the ESRD Network
and the State survey agency;
16. Be informed of his or her right to file internal grievances
or external grievances or both without reprisal or denial
of services;
17. Be informed that he or she may file internal or external
grievances, personally, anonymously or through a
representative of the patient’s choosing.
Standard: Right to be informed regarding the facility’s
discharge and transfer policies. The patient has the right to –
1. Be informed of the facility’s policies for transfer, routine
or involuntary discharge, and discontinuation of services
to patients; and
2. Receive written notice 30 days in advance of an involuntary
discharge, after the facility follows the involuntary discharge
procedures described in § 494.180(f)(4). In the case of
immediate threats to the health and safety of others, an
abbreviated discharge procedure may be allowed.
Standard: Posting of Rights. The dialysis facility must
prominently display a copy of the patient’s rights in the facility,
including the current State agency and ESRD Network mailing
addresses and telephone complaint numbers, where it can be
easily seen and read by patients.
For a full explanation of these rights you can click the link
below and review pages 175 – 185.
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Provider-Enrollment-
and-Certification/SurveyCertificationGenInfo/downloads/
SCletter09-01.pdf
WOW! That is a lot of information to absorb in the first two
weeks of being on dialysis. However, don’t panic. Take your
time and review the material that has been provided to you by
your dialysis unit. Feel free to ask them questions to get a better
understanding of the information. Once again, the purpose of all
this information is to make sure you are an educated consumer
who can participate in their treatment planning.
Next issue we will cover: IN THE FIRST 90 DAYS OF DIALYSIS!
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