Patients’ rights and responsibilities

Patients shall have the following rights:

  • to get access to quality healthcare;
  • to choose a healthcare facility and a healthcare specialist in accordance with the procedure established by law;
  • to receive information about the services provided by the Outpatient Clinic;
  • to receive information about their health condition, diagnosis, medical tests, treatment methods and prognosis, to get another specialist’s opinion on their health condition and proposed treatment and diagnosis, and to receive a description of their diagnosis, treatment and care;
  • to choose diagnostic and treatment methods and opt out of treatment;
  • the right to respect for private life;
  • to receive anonymous healthcare in accordance with the procedure established by law;
  • to get access to their medical records;
  • the right not to know. The Outpatient Clinic may not provide information to a patient against the patient’s will about the patient’s state of health, the diagnosis of his/her illness, the results of a medical examination, the methods of treatment and the prognosis of treatment;
  • to agree or refuse to take part in the process of teaching and biomedical research;
  • to complain;
  • to get compensation for damage caused by the violation of their rights in the provision of healthcare.

Patients shall have the following obligations:

  • to attend the reception at the scheduled time and, if unable to attend, to notify immediately in accordance with the procedure established in paragraph 3.15;
  • to acquaint themselves in writing with the documents provided to them by the Outpatient Clinic and to carry out the obligations specified therein;
  • to take care of their health, to exercise their rights in good faith, not to abuse them, to cooperate with the healthcare specialists and staff of the Outpatient Clinic;
  • to provide proof of identity to receive healthcare services, except in the case of emergency medical care;
  • to provide healthcare specialists with information about their health status (past and present illnesses), surgeries they have underwent, medications they have been taking and are taking, allergic reactions, genetic inheritance and any other circumstances that could affect the healthcare they receive;
  • after being informed about the healthcare services they receive, to confirm in writing their consent or refusal to receive those healthcare services in the cases established by law;
  • to follow the prescriptions and recommendations of healthcare specialists, or refuse the healthcare services prescribed in accordance with law. The patients must inform healthcare specialists of any deviations from the prescriptions or regimen for which they have given consent. If the patient is undergoing inpatient treatment on the day of the scheduled visit to the Outpatient Clinic, he/she must inform the doctor to whom he/she has been referred;
  • to treat all healthcare specialists, staff and other patients of the Outpatient Clinic with respect and dignity.
  • to pay for consultations and treatment on time, in full, in accordance with the legislation in force at the time (if paid services are provided in accordance with the procedure established by the Ministry of Health);
  • not to damage the inventory and other valuables of the Outpatient Clinic, and to treat them with care;
  • a patient who fails to comply with his/her obligations, thereby endangering his/her own health and life and the health and life of other patients, or who interferes with their access to quality healthcare, may have the provision of his/her healthcare services terminated, unless the patient’s life is at risk;
  • the staff of the healthcare facility shall have the right not to serve a person if his/her behaviour is inappropriate or incorporates the signs of a criminal or administrative offence (insulting or threatening the staff member, etc.), except in cases of provision of emergency medical care. Doctors, nurses and other staff of the Outpatient Clinic shall inform the administration of the Outpatient Clinic about the inappropriate behaviour of patients, if necessary, they may call security guards of the Outpatient Clinic or the police, and they may inform the police in writing by filling in a report on the website (https://www.epolicija.lt/).