Patient Information

Patient Rights and Responsibilities

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UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES

PATIENT BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Our Dental School accepts all patients with dental needs that are appropriate for teaching students contemporary techniques of dentistry regardless of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.  We are committed to providing high quality, person-centered care. Person-centered care is a way of thinking and doing things that sees the people using our services as equal partners in planning, developing and monitoring care to make sure it meets their needs. This means putting people and their families at the center of decisions, working alongside professionals to get the best outcome. Person-centered care is not just about giving people whatever they want or providing information. It is about considering people’s desires, values, family situations, social circumstances and lifestyles; seeing the person as an individual; and working together to develop appropriate solutions.
However, we reserve the right to refuse treatment, except to relieve pain or protect life, to any person for the following reasons:

  • The patient (or his/her immediate family) has a history of not fulfilling their financial obligations to the dental school.
  • The patient (or his/her immediate family) has a history of not abiding by the patient responsibilities listed below.
  • The patient’s conduct is disruptive or compromises the rights of others.

We want you to know that you have rights as our patient and encourage you to let us know if you feel we have not lived up to our pledge or if you feel that your rights were not honored.

After your initial appointment, you will have one or more additional appointments to determine your personal treatment plan depending on the complexity of your case. Two or more treatment plans may be presented. One will be an optimal plan to provide the complete restoration of your mouth. A second plan may be presented which will offer you a less expensive alternative. It may include amalgam (silver) rather than more expensive restorative materials, or the use of removable appliances rather than those which remain attached to your teeth.

A third plan to provide the minimal treatment necessary to eliminate disease in your mouth may be provided. Please bear in mind that many of these less expensive alternatives also represent less permanent solutions to your dental health problems. To further assist you, treatment may be able to be phased so that the better treatment can be more affordable.

Each treatment plan will be thoroughly explained to you so that you understand what you can expect, how much the treatment will cost, and the risks both physically and financially.

If at any time, you feel that your rights and requests are not being honored and you cannot resolve the situation with your dentist or staff person, you shall have access to a patient liaison to assist you in the process.

To reach a liaison, please call 612-625-4994.

Your Rights

  • You have the right to considerate, respectful and confidential treatment.
  • You have the right to privacy concerning your dental treatment.  Discussions concerning your care will remain confidential between you, your dental student, attending specialty residents (if any), and the supervising faculty and/or appropriate staff.
  • You have the right to complete and current information concerning the diagnosis and treatment of your dental condition, including its prognosis, in terms you can understand.
  • You have the right to request a transfer to another student if you are dissatisfied with your student dentist.  However, requests to be transferred to another student on the basis of race, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnic or national origin will not be honored.  Requests for transfer to another student are to be made with the Patient Assignment Office in conjunction with the supervising faculty.
  • You have the right to continuity of your care and completion of treatment.
  • You have the right to treatment that meets the standard of care in the profession.
  • You have the right to know the detailed treatment plan(s), risks, benefits and alternatives for your dental condition, including estimated costs, sufficient to give us your signed informed consent before any treatment is started. Life threatening emergency care could be an exception.
  • You have the right to refuse treatment, to understand the risks of no treatment, and to be informed of expected outcomes of various treatments suggested to you.
  • You have the right to access your dental records upon request and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary. Your record will not be released without your written consent, except when required by law or a third party payer contract.  A fee will apply to copy your records.

Your Responsibilities

  • You have the responsibility to tell your provider if you do not understand the treatment plans developed for you or if you do not understand the course of your treatment or what is expected of you.
  • You have the responsibility to follow the recommended instructions including home care preventive techniques and follow-up treatment given to you by your dental student or faculty member.
  • You have the responsibility to be respectful of others by practicing good personal hygiene and avoiding the use of strong colognes, perfumes or body sprays.
  • You have the responsibility to come to your appointments on time and to be available for treatment at least once every two weeks until your treatment is complete. If you are unable to make a scheduled appointment, please call at least 24 hours in advance.
  • You have the right to refuse our suggested treatment plan(s), and the Dental School has the right not to accept you as a patient. You are then responsible for any damage to your teeth or other circumstances that result. The dental student will only provide those services that the attending faculty recommend and approve.
  • You are responsible for asking questions when you do not understand the information or instructions.
  • You have the responsibility to be respectful of clinic personnel and other patients as well as clinic property. Disruptive and disrespectful behavior will not be tolerated in our facilities.  This includes, but is not limited to:
    • Inappropriate or abusive language
    • Obstructive behavior that compromises the safety of others
    • Violence or any form of aggression
    • Sexual, racial, or religious harassment
    • Audio or video recording of any doctor, student, staff member, or patient
  • You have the responsibility to promptly pay all charges for treatment received.
  • You are asked to refrain from using your cell phone in the clinic during your dental appointment.

INTERPRETIVE SERVICES

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry can arrange for an interpreter, if one is needed. Please let your dental provider or a receptionist know if you will need to use this serve for any dental visit.

El U de las clínicas dentales de M puede arreglar para un intérprete, si uno es necesario. Deje por favor a su abastecedor dental o a recepcionista saber si usted necesita utilizar este servicio para cualquier visita dental.

APPOINTMENT CANCELLATION AND FAILURES TO APPEAR

Appointments should be cancelled only if absolutely necessary and at least 24 hours in advance. To cancel an appointment, call 612-625-4435 if the clinics are closed. Three failures in one year or failure to meet appointment times without notice will result in your treatment being terminated. Please remember your student dentist depends on you to come to your appointments as there is a limited amount of time for them to achieve the necessary clinical experiences for graduation.

PATIENT ADVOCACY

If you have any questions about your treatment or your bill, you should first contact your student dentist or Patient Accounting. Resolution of non financial problems and/or complaints should be addressed while you are in the clinic. In the event that this effort is unsuccessful, you and your student dentist should consult the Department or Division Director as the case may warrant. Should the nature of the complaint or problem go beyond this level and still be unresolved, the student should confer with a patient liaison at 612-625-4994.

Also, if at any time, you feel that your rights and requests are not being honored and you cannot resolve the situation with your dentist or staff person, you shall have access to a patient liaison to assist you in the process. To reach a liaison, please call 612-625-4994.

Information about Infection Control and Bloodborne Pathogens

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry adheres to all state and federal regulations, as stipulated in guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Dental Association. The school also has policies and procedures related to individuals who have bloodborne infectious diseases.

In addition, because dental schools conduct research involving human tissues and fluids, strict infection control regulations are followed to protect the patients, students, staff and faculty who might be involved in such research.

Copies of relevant policies are available upon request to:

University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
Office for Clinical Affairs
8-440 Moos Tower
515 Delaware St. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455