The bill amends Section 23-17-19.1 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17, titled "Licensing of Healthcare Facilities," to update the rights of patients in healthcare facilities. It outlines a series of rights that healthcare facilities must observe, including the right to considerate and respectful care, the right to know the names of physicians responsible for their care, the right to refuse treatment to the extent permitted by law, and the right to privacy and confidentiality concerning their medical records. Additionally, the bill specifies that patients have the right to be informed about any human-subjects research they may be involved in and to refuse participation, with the exception of certain lifesaving research situations approved by an institutional review board.

Significant changes to the existing law include the deletion of the requirement for healthcare facilities to inform patients about certain lifesaving research when the patient cannot consent and no consent is available from an agent or decision-maker. Instead, the bill allows for the conduct of human-subjects research following patient consent and/or de-identification requirements as per federal regulations. The bill also removes the requirement for healthcare facilities to file a copy of the relevant research protocol with the department of health. Furthermore, the bill emphasizes patients' rights to access their medical records without charge under specific circumstances and to be informed about hospice care. The act would take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2394  SUB A: 23-17-19.1
2394: 23-17-19.1