A human being's fundamental rights, such as his freedom of opinion and dignity as a

person, have always been of importance. And during illness, these rights become even more
crucial and must be protected and maintained at all times. Hence, we nurses, together with the
healthcare team, must be aware of the different patient's rights and exercise them accordingly to
deliver the best nursing interventions to our patients. Furthermore, we must consider on what
grounds we can disregard a patient's right to be able to get him out on the brink of death or avert
life-threatening complications. And all of these are outlined in the patient's bill of rights.

The American Hospital Association established the Standard Patient's Bill of Rights in
1973 and developed it in 1992, intending to encourage hospitals and healthcare institutions to
incorporate these rights for effective patient care delivery and assisting patients and families in
understanding their rights and duties. Similarly, as a country concerned with the well-being of its
people, the Philippines has adopted the AHA's Standard Bill of Rights while integrating some
rights that fit with the country's culture.

While the Standard Patient's Bill of Rights (AHA) focuses solely on the medical
treatment and clinical aspects in protecting the patient, the Philippine setup takes into account the
religious affiliation of patients by adding the 'right to religious beliefs' into the patient's bill of
rights. Through this right, the patient has the freedom to refuse medical treatment or procedures
that conflict with his religious views. This right, however, may not be imposed by parents on
their children who have not attained the legal age and are in a life-threatening situation as
deemed by the attending physician or the medical director of the facility. Furthermore, as a
country that respects family relationships, the Philippines Patient's Bill of Rights includes the
'right to correspondence and to receive visitors,' while still adhering to hospital or institution
policy regarding visitor limits and visiting hours.

On the contrary, AHA's Standard Patient's Bill of Rights has a few points that were not
adopted by the Philippine Patient's Bill of Rights. One would be the 'right to inquire about and be
informed about any business relationships between the hospital, educational institutions, other
health care providers, or payers that may influence the patient's treatment and care.' Patients must
be informed if the hospital caters to medical students conducting their internship at the hospital
to which they are admitted.

Despite these differences, there are many similarities between the AHA's Standard
Patient's Bill of Rights and the Philippines Patient's Bill of Rights, which both emphasize the
right of each patient to appropriate care and humane treatment, as well as the right to be
informed of his rights, freedom to choose and refuse, knowing important information about his
health, and privacy. And as healthcare providers, we have to be knowledgeable of these rights as
they maintain patient dignity and protect patients when they become exposed to the weaknesses
of the healthcare system, and aid in the enhancement of holistic care delivery. Likewise,
exercising these rights will also keep us, healthcare providers, safe from errors or mistakes that
could lead to the revocation of our license and, finally, the practice of our profession.