JUN 01, 2021
Question: A patient recently arrived for her appointment and refused to wear a mask and abide by the COVID-related safety protocols we have instituted at our practice. We inform all scheduled patients of our policies, and we have posted this information prominently on our website and in the office. How do we handle this situation?
Answer: Clearly, your practice policies include established protocols for patient COVID screening by telephone and in the office. You have an obligation to protect yourself, your employees, and other patients from behavior that violates your safety protocols. Physicians are not obligated to treat all patients; some patients will not wear masks, and others cannot wear masks for a variety of reasons.
You might ask the patient to explain her reluctance to follow your COVID-19 protocol and educate her on the benefits of wearing a mask. If she still refuses to voluntarily abide by your policies, you can offer to reschedule her visit for a later date, arrange a telemedicine visit, or, ultimately, refer her to another practice. If reasoning with the patient does not change her behavior, it is acceptable to terminate the physician-patient relationship for nonadherence to your policies. However, first assess the immediate eyecare needs of the patient. If she does not have an acute vision-threatening problem, you are not obligated to treat them in that moment and may refer them elsewhere. The Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company (OMIC) offers sample form letters for terminating the physician-patient relationship at www.omic.com/terminating-the-physician-patient-relationship.
To read the Code of Ethics, visit aao.org/ethics-detail/code-of-ethics
To submit a question, email ethics@aao.org