There are many versions of the Cancer patient's Bill of Rights but in essence they all endorse the patient's right to care, confidentiality and respect. The Cancer Bill of Rights in general includes the following: All insurance carriers shall in effect cover for some or all costs of complete cancer screening and early detection programs that are based on strong clinical evidence and widely practiced in major clinical centers.
Any individual who has been diagnosed with a mass suspected of being a malignancy, shall have the right to be immediately referred to an oncologist or a health care professional who has experience in dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Any patient who has a diagnosis of cancer confirmed will have the right to medical treatment by a multidisciplinary group of health care workers that shall at least include an oncologist, subspecialty surgeon, radiation oncologist, plastic surgeon, rehabilitation therapists and social support staff.
The cancer patent shall be allowed to use the medical oncologist as his/her primary care physician with complete insurance coverage during and after therapy without being penalized by the insurance carrier.
After the cancer treatment is complete, each competent cancer patient will have the freedom to choose and select the type of rehabilitation, pain management program and social support services.
Cancer Patients should to be able to communicate their opinions candidly to their family, health care providers or other patients without restraint and be heard. If the cancer patient has any concern about their care or desires to make suggestion(s) to the health care staff about improving care or services, their opinion(s) should be heard.
All health care facilities which administer treatment to cancer patients shall respect the individual's advanced directives for discontinuing medical care. If the health care facility or its staff have certain policies or for whatever reason can not respect the advanced directives, the patient or the appointed designated person on behalf of the patient will be notified as soon as possible.
All health care facilities which provide cancer treatment shall make every effort to provide all cancer patients facilities to integrate with recovered cancer patients. It is intended that this service will help the cancer patient have someone for personal advice and information.
All cancer patients will have the right to continuity of care following discharge and will have timely appointments for follow up.
All cancer patients will have adequate diagnostic tests and treatments which fall under the current accepted guidelines of cancer treatment.
All cancer patients shall receive continuous and regular life long follow-up. The pertinent tests to monitor for recurrence will be performed on time.
All cancer patients will have a lifelong opportunity to understand and know about their cancer. This includes the various diagnostic tests, treatment protocols and preventive measures.
All cancer patients shall have the right to undertake unapproved alternative or complimentary cancer treatments and have their insurance providers pay for some or all the treatment costs.
Cancer patients have the right to all medical information about their diagnosis and treatment options. The patient should be thoroughly educated on all possible treatment options and the information should be provided both verbally and in writing to ensure that the patient understands the significance of the diagnosis.
Cancer patients shall take part in their own pain management and have the complete freedom to have their pain complaints be accepted as fact. The patient should have the right to potent pain treatment protocols, and have the right to know what limitations on pain management have been set by the insurance provider. Pain management should first start with available pain medications, including opiates but should also incorporate invasive pain relief procedures such as regional blocks or implantation of automatic anti-pain devices- as long as the procedures can be done safely. The potential for drug addiction shall not be used as the sole criteria to discontinue narcotics. Prior to discontinuing pain medications, the reason(s) will be explained to the patient.
Competent cancer patients should have the right to directly participate in the decision making about their care and treatment after all possible options have been discussed. It is vital that the cancer patient be treated as an equal partner of the oncology health care team from the time of the diagnosis or initial consult.
Cancer patients shall have the right to obtain the best medical care. This is best provided by health care facilities who meet the standards defined by the JACHO and the Approvals Program of the Commission on Cancer of the American college of Surgeons.
In the event that the cancer is terminal, all competent individuals or his/her legal delegate shall have the right to request available, pain management protocols, including opiates even though it may speed up death.
Any licensed physician who prescribes narcotic medications to relieve pain shall not be disciplined or sanctioned even if death by sedation is a possible occurrence. However, the practice of euthanasia is not encouraged. No physician shall partake directly in physician-assisted suicide which in essence is intentional administration of a potent narcotic drug at a deliberately lethal dose intended to speed the patient's death.
Cancer survivors shall be entitled to be gainfully employed based on their education, knowledge and experience without any bias to their diagnosis of a cancer.
Cancer survivors shall be entitled to participate in any employee-related health plans without bias against any existing cancer diagnosis.
Cancer survivors shall be entitled to obtain private medical insurance at a reasonable cost without bias against any existing cancer diagnosis if the individual has been in remission for at least 24 or more months.
Cancer patients should have the right to have family members present at all meetings regarding therapeutic or palliative treatments.
Cancer patients should have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials related to their malignancy. Relevant information about all potential clinical trials undergoing in the nation should be made available to the patient.
Cancer patients should expect to be treated by health care professionals who can provide the best quality of medicine. The patient should feel assured and comfortable that the most update treatment and diagnostic procedures are being made available.
Cancer patients shall have the right to talk with other cancer patients who have had similar diagnosis to obtain frank answers and also derive mental support.
Cancer patients should expect their health care providers to be available if an emergency arises.
Cancer patients shall expect to have their physical and emotional needs assessed and supported by a network of physicians, nurses, social workers, psychotherapists and counselors.
Cancer patients should expect to be offered continuous education programs about their treatments, prognosis, latest discoveries or break through in cancer treatment. - 20765
Any individual who has been diagnosed with a mass suspected of being a malignancy, shall have the right to be immediately referred to an oncologist or a health care professional who has experience in dealing with cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Any patient who has a diagnosis of cancer confirmed will have the right to medical treatment by a multidisciplinary group of health care workers that shall at least include an oncologist, subspecialty surgeon, radiation oncologist, plastic surgeon, rehabilitation therapists and social support staff.
The cancer patent shall be allowed to use the medical oncologist as his/her primary care physician with complete insurance coverage during and after therapy without being penalized by the insurance carrier.
After the cancer treatment is complete, each competent cancer patient will have the freedom to choose and select the type of rehabilitation, pain management program and social support services.
Cancer Patients should to be able to communicate their opinions candidly to their family, health care providers or other patients without restraint and be heard. If the cancer patient has any concern about their care or desires to make suggestion(s) to the health care staff about improving care or services, their opinion(s) should be heard.
All health care facilities which administer treatment to cancer patients shall respect the individual's advanced directives for discontinuing medical care. If the health care facility or its staff have certain policies or for whatever reason can not respect the advanced directives, the patient or the appointed designated person on behalf of the patient will be notified as soon as possible.
All health care facilities which provide cancer treatment shall make every effort to provide all cancer patients facilities to integrate with recovered cancer patients. It is intended that this service will help the cancer patient have someone for personal advice and information.
All cancer patients will have the right to continuity of care following discharge and will have timely appointments for follow up.
All cancer patients will have adequate diagnostic tests and treatments which fall under the current accepted guidelines of cancer treatment.
All cancer patients shall receive continuous and regular life long follow-up. The pertinent tests to monitor for recurrence will be performed on time.
All cancer patients will have a lifelong opportunity to understand and know about their cancer. This includes the various diagnostic tests, treatment protocols and preventive measures.
All cancer patients shall have the right to undertake unapproved alternative or complimentary cancer treatments and have their insurance providers pay for some or all the treatment costs.
Cancer patients have the right to all medical information about their diagnosis and treatment options. The patient should be thoroughly educated on all possible treatment options and the information should be provided both verbally and in writing to ensure that the patient understands the significance of the diagnosis.
Cancer patients shall take part in their own pain management and have the complete freedom to have their pain complaints be accepted as fact. The patient should have the right to potent pain treatment protocols, and have the right to know what limitations on pain management have been set by the insurance provider. Pain management should first start with available pain medications, including opiates but should also incorporate invasive pain relief procedures such as regional blocks or implantation of automatic anti-pain devices- as long as the procedures can be done safely. The potential for drug addiction shall not be used as the sole criteria to discontinue narcotics. Prior to discontinuing pain medications, the reason(s) will be explained to the patient.
Competent cancer patients should have the right to directly participate in the decision making about their care and treatment after all possible options have been discussed. It is vital that the cancer patient be treated as an equal partner of the oncology health care team from the time of the diagnosis or initial consult.
Cancer patients shall have the right to obtain the best medical care. This is best provided by health care facilities who meet the standards defined by the JACHO and the Approvals Program of the Commission on Cancer of the American college of Surgeons.
In the event that the cancer is terminal, all competent individuals or his/her legal delegate shall have the right to request available, pain management protocols, including opiates even though it may speed up death.
Any licensed physician who prescribes narcotic medications to relieve pain shall not be disciplined or sanctioned even if death by sedation is a possible occurrence. However, the practice of euthanasia is not encouraged. No physician shall partake directly in physician-assisted suicide which in essence is intentional administration of a potent narcotic drug at a deliberately lethal dose intended to speed the patient's death.
Cancer survivors shall be entitled to be gainfully employed based on their education, knowledge and experience without any bias to their diagnosis of a cancer.
Cancer survivors shall be entitled to participate in any employee-related health plans without bias against any existing cancer diagnosis.
Cancer survivors shall be entitled to obtain private medical insurance at a reasonable cost without bias against any existing cancer diagnosis if the individual has been in remission for at least 24 or more months.
Cancer patients should have the right to have family members present at all meetings regarding therapeutic or palliative treatments.
Cancer patients should have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials related to their malignancy. Relevant information about all potential clinical trials undergoing in the nation should be made available to the patient.
Cancer patients should expect to be treated by health care professionals who can provide the best quality of medicine. The patient should feel assured and comfortable that the most update treatment and diagnostic procedures are being made available.
Cancer patients shall have the right to talk with other cancer patients who have had similar diagnosis to obtain frank answers and also derive mental support.
Cancer patients should expect their health care providers to be available if an emergency arises.
Cancer patients shall expect to have their physical and emotional needs assessed and supported by a network of physicians, nurses, social workers, psychotherapists and counselors.
Cancer patients should expect to be offered continuous education programs about their treatments, prognosis, latest discoveries or break through in cancer treatment. - 20765
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