Patient Rights & Responsibilities

Mayo Clinic Health System wants you to receive the best possible care and be a partner in your care. Listed below are your rights and responsibilities that will help make your care as safe and effective as possible.

Patient rights

• Hospice Bill of Rights – Minnesota (PDF) │ Hospice Bill of Rights – Wisconsin (PDF)
• Minnesota Patients' Bill of Rights (PDF) │ Declaración de Los Derechos Del Paciente De Minnesota (PDF)
• Patient Rights and Responsibilities – Wisconsin (PDF) │ Derechos y Responsabilidades del Paciente – Wisconsin (PDF) │ Xuquuqda Iyo Waajibaadka Bukaanka (PDF) │ Cov Cai Thiab Cov Luag Haujlwm Neeg Mob Muaj (PDF)

Privacy and medical information

• Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF)

Chaperone during care

A patient or the patient's legal representative, such as a parent, guardian or surrogate, has the right to request a chaperone during the patient's examination or treatment. The healthcare team may request to have a chaperone present during the patient's examination or treatment.

Federal civil rights

• Notice of Nondiscrimination (PDF) │ Declaración Sobre la Política Antidiscriminatoria e Igualdad Oportunidades (PDF)
• Communication Assistance (PDF) │ Ayuda con la Comunicación (PDF)
• Civil Rights Grievance Procedure Notification (PDF) │ Notificación Sobre el Procedimiento para Reclamos de los Derechos Diviles (PDF)
• Section 504 Notice of Program Accessibility (PDF) │ Sección 504: Notificación Sobre el Programa de Accesibilidad (PDF)

Patient responsibilities

Learn about your responsibilities as a patient and role as the central member of your healthcare team.

Research shows that when you're involved in your healthcare decisions, you have better outcomes. Therefore, it's important to stay informed, ask questions and speak up if you have any concerns.

To prevent healthcare errors, you're encouraged to become involved in your care by:

• Participating in all decisions about your treatment.
• Paying attention to the care you receive. Always make sure you're getting the right treatments and medications by the right healthcare professionals. Don't assume anything.
• Speaking up if you have questions or concerns. If you still don't understand, ask again. It's your body, and you have a right to know.
• Educating yourself about your illness. Learn about the medical tests you receive and your treatment plan.
• Knowing what medicines you take and why you take them. Medication errors are the most common healthcare mistakes.
• Asking a trusted family member or friend to be your advocate, adviser or supporter.

Mayo Clinic believes that every patient should be treated with dignity, respect and compassion. We recognize that all patients have basic rights, and we are committed to honoring these rights. Learn about our expectations for reasonable and responsible behavior (PDF) from patients, and their relatives and friends.