title: [Discharge against medical advice].
abstract: The article is on the topic of the doctor's responsibility for the patient in case of treatment discontinuation by the patient. There are two main aspects on this issue: the patient's self-responsibility and the doctor's responsibility in case of treatment discontinuation. In such a case, first of all it is the doctor's responsibility to persuade the patient to keep on with the treatment. The more serious the consequences of the discontinuation are estimated, the further the doctor has to go to persuade the patient to continue the treatment. According to the modern view on the relationship between doctor and patient, in last consequence the doctor has to respect the patient's decision, even though it might be unreasonable. To cover liability, the doctor should keep detailed records of his / her efforts on convincing the patient to continue the treatment. The doctor should also document his / her explanations on consequences of a treatment discontinuation towards the patient.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kordts
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations