Providers Need a Policy for Dismissing Patients from Their Care

​Providers need a consistent policy for dismissing noncompliant patients from their care that includes thorough documentation, conversation and written communication about compliance concerns, and an attempt to distinguish whether the patient is unable or simply chooses not to comply with instructions, states a January 10, 2016, article published in Medical Economics. Asking probing questions can help uncover barriers that prevent patients from complying with treatments, such as a lack of transportation or funds; these barriers can be managed for patients who want to comply but cannot. Keeping thorough documentation of chronic noncompliance can help avoid claims of patient abandonment.