Ask HRC: Handling Patients Who Refuse to Comply with No-Smoking Policies
April 15, 2008 | Health System Risk Management
Preview
A Healthcare Risk Control (HRC) member facility that recently eliminated smoking on its campus asked about managing ambulatory patients leaving the hospital to smoke off-campus on public sidewalks. Specifically, the member asked about steps to take when a patient is noncompliant and refuses to follow the hospital policy. For example, the member asked, should the facility discharge the patient against medical advice or follow an elopement policy?
In a previous Ask HRC column, we listed several sample policies, including one...