Your Hospitalization

Our entire medical, nursing and administrative staff will serve you immediately and efficiently, in the safest manner possible and with utmost respect. Apart from caring for your health, we also aim to protect promote and respond to your rights as a patient. What is more, we urge you to express your personal, spiritual, cultural and other beliefs and needs. We will respect them and try to meet them. Please contact your doctor or the nursing staff on your floor if you have any questions or want to receive an update. 

Confidentiality
All information you will give us is confidential.  Our aim is to safeguard your privacy, so we avoid discussions if front of other people, unless you advise us differently. All information recorded in patient medical files, including your medical history, current medical condition and progress, is considered sensitive personal data and is treated with utmost confidentiality by all Hospital employees.

At your Room

All hospitalization areas within HYGEIA have been specially designed to offer you a comfortable and safe environment throughout your stay. All rooms have remote-controlled beds and nurse call buttons. There is a TV set in all the rooms with NOVA cable service, while all rooms are fitted with a lighting and temperature control system.

A telephone for placing and receiving calls as well as special card with all the useful telephone numbers you may need during your hospitalization can be found on your bedside table. The number of your personal telephone is written on the device. Your Ward Supervisor will assist you with anything else you may need.

An emergency exit diagram is posted in your room.

Please do not keep personal valuables in your room during your hospitalization. The hospital is not liable for any loss of personal valuables that have not been stored in the special storage area.

For your safety, pay attention to the following:

• Hospital beds are narrower and higher than conventional beds, so be careful when turning, getting up or lying down.
• Do not move the safety bars or any other restraints on your bed without first notifying the nursing staff. They have been placed exclusively for your safety and they should not be removed as this carries the risk of injury.
• You are not permitted to leave the Ward you are being hospitalized in, unless you are required to do so as part of your hospitalization.
• Please report any equipment or device malfunction immediately.
• Ask for help when getting out of bed, especially at night.
• Make sure the nurse call button on your bed works and that you know how to use it. Otherwise, let your nurse now if you have trouble reaching the call button.

Patient Identification

Upon admission you will be given an identification bracelet with your personal details (your full name and your date of birth). Please check to see that your name and date of birth are correct. You must wear it at all times during your hospitalization at HYGEIA. If the bracelet is damaged or comes off for any reason, notify your nurse and ask for a new one. Repeated ID checks (name and date of birth) by the HYGEIA staff form part of the safety program we are implementing and we request your valuable cooperation.

Patient update

At each stage of your treatment, your attending physician will brief you on the progress of your medical condition, your test results and any changes he/she might propose regarding your treatment. We also recommend keeping your relatives or friends updated. Please inform your attending physicians who they can share information about your hospitalization with, among your relatives or friends. Your and your family’s cooperation in the planning of your treatment and your nursing care throughout your hospitalization is of very importat; that is why we encourage you to participate.

Denial of treatment

During your hospitalization, and after you have been fully briefed on your medical condition, you will be asked to sign the relevant consent forms for medical or nursing procedures that may be performed. These consents do not only relate to the general hospital care you will receive, but also to any surgical or interventional procedures or treatments, as well as your transfer whenever necessary. In any event, your absolute agreement will be required, while your personal wishes will be respected.

Every patient, or the people accompanying them, has the right to deny or request to stop receiving treatment, after being fully briefed by their attending physician on the consequences or the responsibilities they undertake as a result of such a decision. They will also be informed on alternative treatments that may be performed in lieu of the proposed treatment. In the event of denial of consent for any medical procedure, and after fully discussing with and explaining to the patients the risks entailed by said denial, the physician will not perform any medical procedure.

Do not resuscitate order (DNR)

Ask your attending physician about the Hospital’s current policy on the matter.

With the aim of providing comprehensive and personalized healthcare services, your attending physician works closely with a team of qualified and experienced specialists, such as nurses, nursing assistants, physiotherapists, clinical dietitians, technicians and many more. Please contact your doctor or the nursing staff on your floor if you have any questions or want to receive an update. Medical advice and information is only provided by your attending physician.

Patient obligations

The HYGEIA regulations aim to protect you, so we kindly request that you follow them, but also urge your relatives/visitors to do the same. The HYGEIA staff expend every effort to offer you the best possible healthcare services. Your contribution to this effort is valuable; therefore, we request that you:

• Provide clear and accurate information regarding your personal details, your medical history, previous hospitalizations, medications and nutritional supplements you are taking or have taken, and any other information relevant to your health. Report any changes in your medical condition to the medical or nursing staff.
• Work closely with the staff and actively participate in planning your treatment both before and after being discharged.
• Follow the treatment plan recommended by the medical staff or the healthcare professionals working with your attending physician. If you need any clarifications, or do not fully understand the treatment plan or the medical instructions given to you, immediately notify the medical and nursing staff.
• Provide accurate information and work closely with the relevant hospital departments to settle your hospitalization bill. Immediately notify the staff if you are facing any difficulties in fulfilling your financial obligations.
• Show respect and be sensitive towards the needs of other patients and the medical and nursing staff.
• Comply with the visiting hours, so as to ensure that other patients are not disturbed. Speak quietly and turn down your mobile phones. Urge your relatives or the people accompanying you to do the same.
• Treat the hospital premises with respect, so as to ensure that they are kept clean and that the various pieces of equipment and facilities are used properly.

Attention!

• Smoking, alcohol consumption and the use of any narcotic substances whatsoever are strictly prohibited.
• Children under 12 are not allowed to enter the Hospital.
• Private vehicles may enter the hospital premises only when picking up or dropping off patients.
• Flowers or plants may not be kept in the rooms.
• Patients or visitors may not bring food into the Hospital.
• A family member or a friend is permitted to stay with the patient after visiting hours only after written approval from the Ward Supervisor

Right to a 2nd Opinion

During hospitalization, you are entitled to ask for a 2nd opinion from another expert regarding your medical condition, as well as consultation for your future progress, without this in any way affecting the treatment you receive from HYGEIA.

Patient Rights

A sign listing your rights as a patient (in accordance with Article 47, Law 2071/1992) is posted on the back of your hospital room door. Please take some time to read it.

Pharmaceutical Treatment

During your hospitalization, your doctor will decide on the type of medication that will be administered to you by the nursing staff. HYGEIA follows the unit-dose dispensing system, whereby you are only billed for the doses of medication you take during your hospitalization. In the context of ensuring proper administration of medication, the nurse will ask that you verify your personal details before administering any medication.

For the safe use of medication, we propose:

• You are fully aware of all the medication you are taking, as well as the reason you are taking it and the manner in which you must take it
• You recognize the shape, size and color of your medication
• You keep a list of the medication you are taking
• You always follow your doctor’s instructions and ask him/her if something is troubling you

Nutrition

At HYGEIA hospital, proper and healthy nutrition constitutes a fundamental part of your treatment and is necessary for your speedy recovery following surgery or illness.

The HYGEIA Nutritional Support & Clinical Nutrition Department is responsible for your nutritional needs, as specified by your attending physician. Each patient is assessed individually by the Clinical Dietitian and the daily diet is prepared after taking into account the doctor’s orders, the ailment, the medication, the lab test results and the patient’s nutritional preferences.

Our staff is always available and willing to resolve any issues relating to your diet. The menus have been designed so that you may select the food you like, always adhering to the instructions of your attending physician. The meals are prepared in ways which respect your cultural needs or religious beliefs.

Your meals will be served hot or cold (depending on the instructions), on time and in the friendliest manner. Our team will always be on hand to help with ordering and/or any other needs you may have with the meal services.

Prior to consuming any type of food not provided by the hospital, you must consult your attending physician. Food or sweets may not be kept in the common refrigerators located on each floor. Our aim is to promote healthy nutrition and ensure that all patients follow a proper and nutritionally-balanced diet during their hospitalization at HYGEIA.