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- Title
Unilateral Treatment Termination: 'You're Fired'
- Authors
Simon, Robert I.
- Abstract
Patients can "fire" psychiatrists at any time without notice. Psychiatrists, however, must follow established clinical and legal procedures when they "fire" a patient. As with all relationships, the psychiatrist-patient relationship is temporary. Unilateral terminations that end abruptly are often psychologically harmful to the patient and the psychiatrist and increase the risk of malpractice litigation. A psychiatrist in private practice has no legal duty to accept any individual as a patient. The "no duty" rule also means that the psychiatrist has no legal obligation to provide emergency care to a "stranger" in distress, unless the psychiatrist works in an emergency department or is under contractual obligation to do so.
- Subjects
PSYCHOTHERAPIST-patient relations; TORT liability of psychiatrists; PSYCHIATRY; MEDICAL emergencies; ACTIONS &; defenses (Law); MENTAL health
- Publication
Psychiatric Times, 2004, Vol 21, Issue 8, p25
- ISSN
0893-2905
- Publication type
Article