Do you think that policies such as AMA, the right to refuse care, and the patients right to smoke....?

Question

....has been detrimental to a patients quick and effective recovery?

Against Medical Advice. I ran out of room and assumed that others would know what the other meaning of AMA was.

Sorry for any confusion.

They do have the right to go outside and smoke, right outside of the hospital. Many do, IV poles and all.

Answer 1

As a long standing member of the AMA, I think it's a free country and people have the right to choose. If they choose to leave against medical advice, the physician should not be held accountable. If they choose to smoke, it is not the physician's fault that they lit up and eventually came down with any one of the miriad of disease processes that are directly attributed to tobacco use. As a healthcare provider, I can only make recommendations. Should a patient choose to ignore those recommendations, all I can do is document the happenings so that later, family members don't stand a chance of winning an outrageous cash settlement or reward having taken me to court. Personal choice.

Answer 2

The AMA is the American Medical Association, not a policy. The right to refuse care is an insurance thing and is detrimental to all people when care could prevent or stop diseases from spreading uncontrollably. Patients do not have a right to smoke in a hospital or medical facility. This does not hurt patient recovery.

Answer 3

Of course it is! If you don't get treatment, or leave before treatment is complete, obviously your recovery isn't going to be as successful. Let's not even get into the smoking issue.

All this aside, you still have the right to do these things. Your body is your property alone, and you have the right to take care of it (or not care for it) as you see fit.