Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Hospital Conditions of Participation: Patients' Rights

This final rule finalizes the Patients' Rights Condition of Participation (CoP) which is applicable to all Medicare- and Medicaid- participating hospitals and contains standards that ensure minimum protections of each patient's physical and emotional health and safety. It responds to comments on the following standards presented in the July 2, 1999 interim final rule: Notice of rights; exercise of rights; privacy and safety; confidentiality of patient records; restraint for acute medical and surgical care; and seclusion and restraints for behavior management. As a result of comments received, we have revised the standards regarding restraint and seclusion and set forth standards regarding staff training and death reporting.