Ask ECRI: Non-medical Discharge of Hospital Inpatients
January 3, 2023 | Health System Risk Management
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A member recently asked for resources related to non-medical or administrative discharge of hospital inpatients that consider the hospital's legal, regulatory, ethical, and moral obligations. In our response we address factors that impact non-medical discharge and provide relevant resources.
Hospitals may wish to discharge patients for a variety of non-medical reasons (e.g., if the patient is being violent towards staff, patients, or visitors; if the patient is exhibiting racist behavior). However, administrative discharge of patients for non-medical reasons is a more complicated legal and regulatory issue for hospitals than it is for...