Patient Discharge
Treatment Refusal

Against Medical Advice

Discharging a patient against medical advice (AMA) presents both patient safety and medical-legal risks. Patients leaving AMA often require additional emergency medical care or hospital admission, and premature departure increases the likelihood of medical complications, including disability or death. Many clinicians face persistent challenges in practice when navigating the legal and ethical implications, accurately assessing decision-making capacity, or documenting AMA encounters in a manner that protects both the patient and the provider. This activity examines the rights of patients to refuse treatment and leave AMA, reviews the legal and ethical considerations, and outlines key documentation and communication practices that mitigate risk. Real case examples are used to illustrate best practices and common pitfalls. After completing this activity, practitioners and the healthcare team should be able to: evaluate patient safety risks by analyzing the clinical and contextual factors contributing to the decision to leave AMA; differentiate between situations in which a patient has the legal and ethical right to leave AMA and those in which intervention is warranted due to impaired decision-making capacity or other limitations; and construct an AMA note that accurately documents the patient s decision, protects against liability, and demonstrates adherence to professional standards.

Credit & MOC Details

Credit information is provided by the course provider. We recommend confirming credit eligibility with the provider or your licensing board before starting the activity.

Target Specialties

Case-based learning
Credit · Up to 2 credits
MOC · Up to 2 points
Fee · varies

Released

May 21, 2025
Last day to claim credit

May 21, 2028 2 years left

Against Medical Advice

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