National Institute for Patient Rights

Protecting and Promoting Patient Rights

Dr. Mark E. Meaney

President and CEO

National Institute for Patient Rights (NIPR)

Patient Rights are under siege. Despite billions spent on medical technologies, patients daily experience the erosion of their rights in hospitals.

The National Institute for Patient Rights (NIPR) is a nonpartisan, free-standing, community interest corporation with a social mission dedicated to helping patients and their advocates protect and promote their rights and address violations of patient rights.

Our publications and services help patients and their families identify resources within hospitals to assist them in preventing the violation of patient rights.

For example, T he NIPR Blog is your daily guide to up to the minute information on how to clear up problems of miscommunication, mediate and resolve conflicts, and deal with medical mistakes in hospitals.

Also, take advantage of the NIPR Patient Survey to add your personal input into our ongoing study of the top ten violations of patient rights in hospitals.

One of NIPR’s most important projects centers on calling attention to the community education provisions of the Patient Self-Determination Act (PSDA). PSDA remains a touchstone of a social and medical movement to enhance patient rights in the hospital, while preventing the violation of patient rights.

We have launched a nationwide campaign to lobby Congress to designate a national Patient Rights Day.

Despite its many successes, the record on the implementation of the community education provisions of PSDA remains "abysmal." Hospital-based healthcare professionals have neither the time nor the money to conduct community outreach on patient rights among a public who will eventually need this information.

A national Patients Rights Day will reignite a drive to educate the general public on patient rights. Please visit the National Campaign page to learn how you can help with this urgent matter.

Be sure to join the NIPR Empowerment Club and become eligible to receive our monthly newsletter. The NIPR newsletter, Empower Patients, brings you news and commentary on national and international efforts to protect and promote patient rights as well as to prevent the violation of patient rights.