Maastricht UMC+
Confidentiality
Physicians, nurses and other hospital staff need to use your personal details for your treatment. They have a legal duty to maintain the highest level of confidentiality. All staff members are required to handle your personal and medical data confidentially and to not give unauthorised persons access to your data. We comply with all relevant Dutch laws and regulations. All employees must adhere to the Medical Treatment Contracts Act (Wet Geneeskundige Behandelings Overeenkomst) and the Personal Data Protection Act (Wet Bescherming Persoonsgegevens).
MUMC+ periodically reviews and, where appropriate, modifies its confidentiality policies and procedures. If you have any comments or questions about the way your personal data are handled by MUMC+, please contact our Data Protection Officer.
The right to information
It is the physician's duty to properly inform you about the nature of the proposed treatment and/or examinations, alternative treatment possibilities, possible risks, consequences and side effects, and the prognosis after treatment.
Doctors, nurses and other care providers will do their best to inform you as clearly as possible about your treatment. Nevertheless, you may not understand or remember everything. In which case, please ask for further clarification or explanation. In turn, you will be expected to provide the physician with all the details required for your treatment.
Informed consent requirement
Consent must be obtained before any examination or treatment is carried out. You have the right to refuse an examination or treatment. Explicit consent is required in cases of drastic treatment; in all other cases, care providers assume that the consent is implied. Consent can always be withdrawn at a later stage. In an emergency situation, you may be at risk if immediate action is not taken. In such circumstances, treatment will go ahead without your consent. Prior to your participation in scientific research, the researcher will explain in detail the nature of the research and its expected benefits. This will allow you to make an informed decision as to whether you want to participate in the research.
Your medical records
As a patient, you can always access your medical records. In some cases, instead of a full copy an abstract of your medical record may be sufficient. If you have any questions regarding your medical records, please contact your case manager.