It is important that you remain informed of all aspects of your treatment and care.
The following guidelines have been adopted to ensure that you are aware of your responsibilities and that your rights are preserved.
Right to appropriate, quality healthcare
You have the right to safe, high quality healthcare, where standards of professional excellence are maintained at all times. You have the right to be informed of all aspects of the healthcare service provided to you, including the extent of insurance coverage for services and supplementary costs.
Access to care
You have the right to impartial access to treatment regardless of race, creed, sex or national origin.
Right to respect and dignity
You have the right to courteous, considerate care with respect for your feelings, personal privacy, dignity, cultural and religious practices at all times.
Privacy and confidentiality
Any collection of information relating to your treatment is done in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles, Schedule 1 of the Privacy Act 1988. You have the right to be interviewed and examined in surroundings designed to assure \reasonable visual and auditory privacy. You should expect consultation and discussion regarding any aspect of your care to be conducted in total confidence, and not to be released without your written consent unless considered medically necessary in emergency circumstances.
Right to adequate information
You have the right to obtain, from the practitioner responsible for coordinating your care, complete and current information concerning investigations to be performed, diagnosis (to the degree known) and the nature and risks of the proposed treatment. Information will be communicated to you in terms you can be reasonably expected to understand. You may request the names and roles of key staff involved in your care.
Consent
You have the right to give or refuse consent based on adequate information to any anaesthesia, surgical procedures and unusual medications, participations in any research project, photographic and audiovisual recording and other procedures where consent is required by law.
Second opinion
You always have the right to seek a second opinion. It is the responsibility of you or the person responsible for your care to arrange this.
Refusal of treatment
You have the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law. You have the right to refuse the presence of health workers not directly involved in your care
Your responsibilities
You are responsible for advising your radiation oncologist if you do not understand any aspect of your care, including your condition and the purpose of your treatment before you agree to that treatment.
You should know your own health history and provide to the best of your knowledge, accurate and complete information about present complaints, past illness, hospitalisations, medications and other matters relating to your health. We ask that you follow the treatment and care plans recommended by the health practitioners, keep appointments and
inform the centre when you are unable to attend.
We expect you to be considerate of the rights of other patients and team members. Smoking is not permitted at any Icon Cancer Centre by patients or staff.