policy matters
What to consider before ending
the physician-patient relationship
Clinical judgment, compassion key to determining course of action
External
Consultation
Dates held:
December 12th, 2016
– February 10th, 2017
# of Respondents:
104
C
ouncil has approved
a policy that provides
more explicit guidance
with respect to the
circumstances in which it may be
appropriate to end the physician-
patient relationship, and the cir-
cumstances in which it is not.
The policy, which was last up-
dated in 2008, sets out key princi-
ples and expectations for physicians
when ending the physician-patient
relationship for any reason other
than the physician’s retirement,
relocation, leave of absence, or as a
result of disciplinary action by the
College.
When considering whether to
end the relationship, the Ending
the Physician-Patient Relation-
ship policy requires physicians to
apply good clinical judgment and
compassion in each case to deter-
mine the most appropriate course
of action.
In every case, physicians must
bear in mind that ending the physi-
cian-patient relationship may have
significant consequences for the pa-
tient, for example, by limiting their
access to care. Abruptly discontinu-
ing treatment of a patient who is
on opioids, for example, could
lead to fatal consequences for those
patients with an opioid use disorder
as they turn to highly potent street
sources.
The above is just one example
why physicians must undertake
reasonable efforts to resolve the
situation affecting their ability to
provide care in the best interest
Breakdown of
respondents:
77% physicians
13% public
6% Unidentified
4% organizations
Changes Made in
Response to
Feedback:
YES
NO
Issue 2, 2017 Dialogue
31