Patient / Client Rights
Clients as consumers receiving audiology or speech-language pathology services have:
- The right to be treated with dignity and respect;
- The right that services be provided without regard to race or ethnicity, gender, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability;
- The right to know the name and professional qualifications of the person or persons providing services;
- The right to personal privacy and confidentiality of information to the extent permitted by law;
- The right to know, in advance, the fees for services, regardless of the method of payment;
- The right to receive a clear explanation of evaluation results, to be informed of potential or lack of potential for improvement, and to express their choices of goals and methods of service delivery;
- The right to accept or reject services to the extent permitted by law;
- The right that services be provided in a timely and competent manner, which includes referral to other appropriate professionals when necessary;
- The right to present concerns about services and to be informed of procedures for seeking their resolution;
- The right to accept or reject participation in teaching, research, or promotional activities;
- The right, to the extent permitted by law, to review information contained in their records, to receive explanation of record entries upon request, and to request correction of inaccurate records;
- The right to adequate notice of and reasons for discontinuation of services; an explanation of these reasons, in person, upon request; and referral to other providers if so requested.
These rights belong to the person or persons needing services. For sound legal or medical reasons, a family member, guardian, or legal representative may exercise these rights on the person's behalf.
Reference
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1994). Protection of Rights of People Receiving Audiology or Speech-Language Pathology Services [Technical Report].
