What is Gastroenterology?
Gastroenterology is the study of the digestive system. The digestive system includes the gastrointestinal tract, which starts in the mouth and extends through the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine (colon), the liver, the pancreas and the gallbladder.
A gastroenterologist is a person who specializes in the field of gastroenterology and treats diseases of the digestive system. Procedures commonly performed by a gastroenterologist include upper endoscopies and colonoscopies.
Digestive Disorders
Below is a list of common digestive disorders. Clicking on any of them will give you basic information about each disorder. For more information on any of these or other GI topics, please refer to our page of helpful GI links.
Patient Bill of Rights
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS...
As one of our patients, you have certain rights:
- YOU have the right to be treated with dignity by a competent medical staff.
- YOU have the right to expect privacy and confidentiality concerning your medical care.
- Information can only be released with your consent except as provided by the law or third party contracts.
- YOU have the right to receive accurate information about your problem in lay terms that you understand.
- YOU have the right to participate in choosing the best form of treatment for your problem.
- YOU have the right to consent to, or refuse, any care or treatment.
- YOU have the right to know the names of all individuals who directly participate in your care, and you have the right to select and/or change your doctor at any time.
- YOU have the right to ask any question about our services or any related cost.
- YOU have the right not to be treated with discrimination. It is the policy of Digestive Healthcare Associates to admit and treat all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, handicap, religious or fraternal organization or age.
...AND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
As one of our patients, you also have certain responsibilities:
- YOU have the responsibility to be courteous to our staff and other patients.
- YOU have the responsibility to keep your appointments and be on time. If you cannot keep a scheduled visit, please call us at once and reschedule or cancel so another patient can use that time.
- YOU have the responsibility to provide your doctor and nurse with accurate and truthful information about your medical history so that an accurate diagnosis can be made.
- YOU have the responsibility to follow the mutually agreed upon prescribed course of treatment and to inform your doctor, nurse or other health care provider of any changes in your condition.
- YOU have the responsibility to pay your bills promptly, to provide the necessary insurance information for processing them, and to ask any questions you have about them as soon as possible.
Patient Appointments
We make every effort to schedule non-emergency appointments within a reasonable amount of time. To allow us to meet the needs of every patient, especially in cases of emergency, we ask that patients call our office promptly, preferably one day in advance, if they need to cancel their appointment or have the need to reschedule. If you fail to notify our office and miss a total of three scheduled appointments, we have the right to terminate you from our office practice. If we exercise that right, you will receive a certified letter explanation and will be given names of alternative Gastroenterologists to follow up with.
Disclaimer – The information on this website as well as its associated links are designed to be purely informative. The information is not meant to aid in self diagnosis and treatment. Digestive Healthcare Associates, LLC assumes no liability for the use of this information.