ABA Family Legal Guide

Health-Care Law

Patients' Rights

Trevor worked for a large insurance company, and had access to millions of medical files. He set up a date with Caroline, and decided to look her up on the computer database. He saw that she had received medication for a sexually transmitted disease two years prior, and cancelled the date.

Caroline awoke in the middle of the night to splitting pain in her head, and found herself unable to move. Her sister took her to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. The emergency room nurse told Caroline that the hospital was too busy with other patients and told her to go to another hospital about fifteen minutes away. Her sister drove Caroline to the other hospital. When they got there, Caroline was unconscious. The doctors examined her immediately and discovered that she'd had a stroke, causing brain damage and paralysis.

This section covers patients' rights, including confidentiality, emergency care, and informed consent.

1. Confidentiality and Privacy
2. Emergency Care
3. Informed Consent