title: Cost containment and medical judgment.
abstract: A physician should not allow financial criteria to influence his decision to discharge a patient from the hospital despite pressures that may exist to do so. If injury to the patient is attributable to a premature discharge approved by a physician, the physician can expect to be held accountable. Under Wickline, a physician should protest to a third-party payor whose prospective utilization review decision would result in the withholding of necessary medical care. Such protests should be documented. Where a patient requires continued hospitalization, it would be advisable to so inform the patient and the hospital administrator so that arrangements for care in an appropriate facility can be made.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002140:California; D003363:Cost Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D007349:Insurance, Health, Reimbursement / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000191:economics*; D011183:Postoperative Complications