Section 1262.6.

(a)  Each hospital shall provide each patient, upon admission or as soon thereafter as reasonably practical, written information regarding the patient's right to the following:

(1)  To be informed of continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.

(2)  To be informed that, if the patient so authorizes, that a friend or family member may be provided information about the patient's continuing health care requirements following discharge from the hospital.

(3)  Participate actively in decisions regarding medical care. To the extent permitted by law, participation shall include the right to refuse treatment.

(4)  Appropriate pain assessment and treatment consistent with Sections 124960 and 124961.

(b)  A hospital may include the information required by this section with other notices to the patient regarding patient rights. If a hospital chooses to include this information along with existing notices to the patient regarding patient rights, this information shall be provided when the hospital exhausts its existing inventory of written materials and prints new written materials.

(Added by Stats. 2001, Ch. 691, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2002.)