Terminating the Doctor-Patient Relationship

Neil H. Baum, MD, Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana, discusses how to go about terminating a doctor-patient relationship. It may not happen frequently, but at least 90% of doctors have had to end a doctor-patient relationship at least once and it can be a sensitive situation that is important to get right. Dr. Baum explains what doctors should not do before discussing the correct protocols to follow. Dr. Baum lists five common reasons for termination, including abusive behavior, noncompliance, deception to obtain drugs, chronic no-shows, and failure to pay bills. He emphasizes the need to document everything and discusses who to inform when terminating a relationship. Dr. Baum also uses a case study to highlight the importance of formally terminating the relationship in writing and emphasizes that not doing this can leave a doctor open to litigation.

View this post on Grand Rounds in Urology for a termination letter template from Dr. Baum, here: https://grandroundsinurology.com/term...