Practice tip of the week: Dismissing a patient

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With all the useful information available on Physicians Practice, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

With this in mind, the tip of the week is a chance to reflect on some of the wisdom found all across the site. In this November 2013 story detailing considerations before dismissing patients, David Doyle gives this tip:

How to protect the patient
Termination of the patient-physician relationship should never threaten the patient’s health or access to care. All physicians are legally required to notify their patients in writing when they are no longer able to provide care for them.

So you should start by writing a formal discharge letter. This letter must identify a specific date - at least 30 days from when the letter is sent - after which you will no longer be able to provide care.

To help the patient secure the necessary care going forward, the letter should also include a description of her medical problems and contact information for another local physician or a physician referral service. Specialized rural practices should not terminate care if they know the patient will be unable to obtain similar care or services from other nearby healthcare providers.

Click here to read the rest of the article and be sure to check back next week for another Tip of the Week!