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What do you do if a patient refuses care at a risk of his or her own safety?

I feel like for me I would have to call back up for help. #medicine #healthcare

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Dan’s Answer

If the patient has capacity to make that decision, than legally you accept it and document that he/she has capacity and is choosing to go against medical advice. People have the right to make bad decisions. For example, if I am diabetic, it's my right to choose between exercising and not exercising. Now, if I have any form of dementia, than that is a different story. That would mean that the patient has no capacity to choose.
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Corin’s Answer

Patient autonomy is a concept that is crucial to being a good health care practitioner. As stated above, unless the patient has been deemed incapable of making decisions, you have to allow them the right to choose for themselves even if you don't agree. Even within that, there has to be legal documentation that states the patient can't choose for themselves. This would include a power of attorney or a psychiatric hold.
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Estelle’s Answer

I agree with Dan and Corin. Patients have the right to choose their treatment or rather refuse treatment. Sometimes, taking time to educate patients means that they choose a treatment that they might have refused just out of fear. Regardless, if patients make informed choices and refuse treatment, then physicians are obligated to respect their choices.
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