Patient Code of Conduct
Houston Methodist prides itself on providing unparalleled, quality care and on treating everyone as a person of sacred worth and value. We are committed to creating a safe, caring and inclusive environment for everyone — our patients, visitors, physicians, nurses and staff — in all of our spaces.
Our Patient Code of Conduct helps us achieve this goal.
Our policy states: All persons (including staff, patients, volunteers, and guests) on Houston Methodist properties are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and courteous manner. Disruptive behavior is prohibited and will be addressed in a manner that protects the safety and dignity of all involved.
Words or actions that are disrespectful, racist, discriminatory, hostile or harassing are not welcome at Houston Methodist. Examples of these include:
- Offensive comments about others’ race, accent, religion, gender, sexual orientation or other personal traits
- Refusal to see a clinician or other staff member based on these personal traits
- Physical or verbal threats and assaults
- Sexual or vulgar words or actions
- Disrupting another patient’s care or experience
Our policy includes specific definitions of what constitutes intentionally disruptive or abusive behavior, as well as the procedure that will be followed once a report is made of a disruptive staff member, patient, volunteer or guest. To ensure patients with legitimate requests are never denied appropriate service, it also takes into account reasonable requests to accommodate a patient’s spiritual and cultural values protected under patients’ rights.
If we believe you have violated the policy with unwelcome words or actions, you will be given the chance to explain your point of view. We will always carefully consider your response before we make any decisions about future care at Houston Methodist.
If you witness or are the target of any of these behaviors, please report it to a member of your care team.
