When a physician decides to terminate an established physician-patient relationship in a non-emergent situation, which of the following actions is REQUIRED in order to avoid a charge of patient abandonment?
Send the patient a formal written notice, documented in the chart, that specifies a future date when care will end and allows reasonable time to find another provider.
Unilaterally assign the patient to another physician without consulting the patient.
Stop all treatment and medication refills immediately on the date the decision to terminate is made.
Refuse to transfer the patient's medical records until all outstanding balances are paid in full.
To prevent patient abandonment, the physician must give the patient formal written notice-usually by certified mail or another traceable method-stating the termination date and providing sufficient time (commonly 30 days or more, depending on the patient's condition and local regulations) for the patient to secure another provider. The physician should also offer to transfer records upon request. Simply refusing to release records, stopping care immediately, or assigning the patient to another physician without consent fails to meet legal and ethical duties and can expose the provider to liability.
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