Medical Ethics

Agree or disagree..100 min word count

Discharging patients from the practice is not always easy to do. Practicing medicine requires a fine balance between caring for patients and running a business. In both scenarios, there are steps involved in discharging patients from the practice. However,  the most important goal is to avoid a claim of patient abandonment and assure that patient care is not neglected and the patient’s health and well-being is protected. It is important to know that there are certain exceptions that apply to terminating a patient. A practice is not permitted to terminate a patient where no other healthcare provider is currently able to provide the patient the type of care or services that the practice is providing to the patient. Make sure I have attempted all I can do to help and when I realize there is no more to do, discharging the patient may be the only course of action.

In order to avoid certain abandonment concerns, it is proper to consider the following:

· Allow a patient sufficient time to find alternative care.

· Provide patients with written notice of your intent to terminate care at least 30 days notice. 

· Patients should be informed in writing of the date they will no longer receive care, how to obtain their medical records and how they can obtain assistance locating a new physician.

· Determine under what circumstances, if any, the patient may continue to be seen by the practice after termination date.

· Document any consistent issues you are having with a patient. Also, it may help when you provide patients with notice of problem issues and the opportunity to modify their behavior. Sometimes, patients do not realize how much their actions impact on practice operations.

 For Scenario 2, I can advise the mother about the VFC (Vaccines for Children) Program. I can provide the website where she can find out more information about the program. The children are eligible for the VFC Program because they are younger than 19 years of age and they are uninsured. The Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program helps provide vaccines to children whose parents or guardians may not be able to afford them. This helps ensure that all children have a better chance of getting their recommended vaccinations on schedule.

 

At times, decisions to terminate a difficult patient reflect good judgment and will help the practice maintain a happier and more efficient medical practice.

 

Source Cited:

Tomey, S. (2015, March 16). Removing a patient from your practice: A physician's legal and ethical responsibilities. Medical Economics.  https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/removing-patient-your-practice-physicians-legal-and-ethical-responsibilities (Links to an external site.)

 (Links to an external site.) CDC. (n.d.). Vaccines for Children Program (VFC). CDC.  https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/index.html (Links to an external site.)