Patient Rights & Responsibilities - Owen Sound Family Health Team

Patient Rights
& Responsibilities

At the Owen Sound Family Health Team we are committed to providing the best primary health care in our community. We believe that our patients and families are partners in the delivery of quality patient care. We make the following commitment to you:

Your Rights

You have the right to:

Be treated in a kind and respectful way.
Expect that all information about your health care will be kept private and confidential in accordance with the personal health information law. (refer to Privacy Policy)
Be given information in a way you will understand and is meaningful to you.
Expect that your health care team will share relevant information with each other within the circle of care, unless otherwise restricted by you
Participate in making decisions about your care.
Culturally-sensitive care.
Know the names and roles of people involved in your care.
Express your concerns and get answers to your questions.
Be told of the fees not covered by OHIP and that you or your family will have to pay.

Your Responsibilities

As a patient you have rights and responsibilities. Please make sure you abide by following:

Be polite and respect other patients, visitors and members of the health care team.
Recognize that the needs of other patients and families may sometimes be more urgent than your own.
Give accurate information to your health care team to help them plan your care.
Give your health care team the name of the person who will represent you if you cannot make decisions by yourself.
Follow the plan of care the best way you can.
Accept responsibility for the decisions you make about your treatment.
Take care of your personal things.
Respect clinic property and act in a safe and responsible way.
Understand and be responsible for all expenses not covered by OHIP.
Notify your health care provider if you can’t keep an appointment

Email Consent

Our office often uses email to communicate with patients. The main advantage of email communication is convenience, particularly when scheduling appointments and receiving timely information regarding your care and test results.

If you would like to receive email from our office and your physician for appointment updates, information regarding your care and test results, please download the PDF form at the bottom of this message, fill it out and mail it to our office.

Or you can call the office (519-470-3030, Option#3 followed by your Dr’s pod #) between 8:30 am and 4:15 pm (closed from 12-1pm) to give a verbal consent. We will then send you a form via email for us to be granted email consent.

This information sent to you by email may be confidential and personal in nature.

Although we are very careful on our end to keep these emails confidential, you should know that email messages in general are not encrypted and may exist indefinitely. We cannot guarantee the security of messages sent outside of the clinic.

The clinic cannot guarantee that your email will be received, read or responded to within any particular period of time. YOU MUST NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE CLINIC VIA EMAIL FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES or other time-sensitive matters.

Accessibility

Owen Sound Family Health Team welcomes and encourages patient’s living with disabilities to use our services. We strive to provide access to programs and services for patients with disabilities in a way that respects their rights to dignity, independence and integration.

Our office is wheelchair accessible. There is a wheelchair located in the front foyer for patients to use while at the office. We also have two elevators and an escalator in the main lobby to access the second floor.

Owen Sound Family Health Team will consider the individual needs of people with disabilities in delivering service by:

Communication: we will communicate with people with disabilities in ways that takes into account their disability.
Assistive Devices: we provide an onsite wheelchair, automatic doors and wheelchair accessible washrooms, and will make reasonable efforts to permit the use of other assistive devices that enable patients with disabilities to access our services.
Support Persons: we welcome accompanying support people for those patients who need assistance with communication, mobility, personal care or medical needs.
Service Animals: we welcome service animals that are needed to assist patients with disabilities.
Employee Training: OSFHT will provide staff with:
Accessibility standard training
TRFHT’s policy and procedures related to the Customer Service Standard
How to properly interact and communicate with people in various types of disabilities

Notice of Temporary Disruption of Services
In the event of a planned or unexpected disruption in services, which will affect patients with disabilities, Owen Sound Family Health Team will notify its patients promptly. This notice will be clearly posted on our website, on our phones and at our facility. It will include information about the reason for the disruption, its anticipated length of time and a description of available alternatives, if available.

Feedback Process
Comments on our services are welcomed and appreciated. Feedback can be made verbally to any of our team members or in writing to Owen Sound Family Health Team 1415 1st Ave W Owen Sound, ON N4K

Concerns & Complaints

Your voice is important to us

The Owen Sound Family Health Team is committed to providing the best possible services to the people we serve.

If you have a concern or issue please contact your physician.

Patient Concerns Policy

Policy Statement: This process will address patient concerns and respond to them quickly and effectively to resolve them quickly and effectively to resolve the patient’s concern/complaint

Reason for the Policy: The Owen Sound Family Health Team is committed to providing the best possible services to the people we serve. The Owen Sound FHT believes that organizational improvement can be best by achieved by encouraging patient feedback. We ensure that this feedback will be utilized to continue quality improvement for our patients.

Entities Affected by this Policy: All Staff and Physicians of the Owen Sound FHT.

Who Should Read This Policy: All Staff and Physicians of the Owen Sound FHT and OSMA that may come into contact with all persons in the due course of delivering care services on behalf of the patients of the Owen Sound FHT

The Procedure

Team members should take notes documenting issues, actions and any resolutions. It is not necessary for patients to document concern/complaints in order for them to be resolved. At any time in the process, the team member responding to the complaint shall bring to the attention of the Executive Director any complaints which may have a negative impact on the organization’s financial, legal security or its public affairs including situations where the person with the complaint acknowledges having or planning contact the media. The Executive Director will advise the Chair of the Board and Lead Physician of any such concerns/complaints.

Steps in Process:

STEP ONE:
If a complaint is received by a team member providing the services, the patient and team member will review the complaint within 3 business days. If a team member is approached by patient who has a complaint regarding another team member, they will advise the Executive Director, who will contact the person to whom the complaint is directed. The person providing the service will be alerted of the existence of the complaint unless it has been asked that the information be kept confidential.

STEP TWO:
If there is not successful resolution, the patient will have opportunity to have the Executive Director review the complaint. If a patient call the Executive /director of Board Members directly, the Executive Director, or Board member will hear the complaint and advise that further action will be provided following discussion with the team member involved. Board members will advise the patient that they will discuss the complaint with the Executive Director. The meeting may take place with the team member and patient together or separately. The Executive Director will document the results of the meeting, forwarding a copy to both the patient and the team member.

STEP THREE:
If the Executive Director does not resolve the complaint, the matter will be taken to the Board of Directors Chair. A minimum task group of 3 Board Members may review the complaint and arrange separate meeting with the patient and involved team member. A letter will be sent within 7 business days to patient and team member involved regarding any agreement reached, and the committees’ decision regarding the complaint.

Documentation of Patient concerns/complaints:

1. 1. 1. Complaint/concern form will be completed by the service provider with the patient concern/complaint summarized and a follow up plan indicated.
    2. Executive Director to receive these forms within 7 business days.
    3. All complaints/concerns will be reviewed by the Executive Director and the OSFHT Board quarterly.
    4. Names will be removed from reports for review to maintain confidentiality.
    5. The purpose of the review is to identify common issues and trends and method for improvement

519-470-3030