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Against Medical Advice (AMA) is when a patient leaves a hospital against a doctor’s advice. This can result in incomplete medical care and requires a standard form to be filed. Mental health patients must give 24 hours notice before leaving. AMA forms protect doctors from potential lawsuits.
In healthcare law, Against Medical Advice (AMA) is a legal term used for a patient who checks himself out of the hospital in opposition to a doctor’s advice. Also known as discharge against medical advice, or DAMA, patients who leave a medical care facility against the professional advice of doctors are considered discharged without completing the proper course of medical care. In most jurisdictions, patients leaving against medical advice are required to complete a standard form which is filed with their medical records.
Many cases of patients leaving against medical advice require a doctor to take into account, first and foremost, the patient’s wishes. While it may be unwise for the patient to leave the hospital without receiving proper care, the physician is obligated to honor the individual patient’s wishes. Medical staff may try to dissuade a patient from her decision, but ultimately the choice rests with the patient and the process can be accomplished rather quickly.
This isn’t always the case, however. Patients who are admitted to mental health institutions fall under a different set of rules regarding the AMA Act. A patient who has voluntarily admitted himself has the right to leave the facility against the wishes of a physician, but in most areas, the patient must give 24 hours notice before leaving. This notice is being implemented for two very important reasons. One reason is that the warning is hoped to give the patient time to realize the need to stay in the hospital; the other reason is for a doctor to fill out commitment papers if he believes the patient poses a risk to himself or others.
When doctors request that a patient stay in the hospital and continue treatment, they not only care about the patient’s well-being, but also safeguard themselves against potential lawsuits. If a patient leaves against a doctor’s wishes and falls ill or dies, the doctor may face a malpractice lawsuit. This is where AMA documents protect doctors and medical institutions.
A typical AMA form will include a summary of the possible risks a patient is running, the implications of what they are doing, and steps in place to continue medical care at a later date. The form is signed by the patient and a witness. It also includes the exact time of release, doctor’s name and contact information, and how the patient left the premises: alone, with a family member, or with a law enforcement officer.
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