Open AccessPatient abandonment in primary healthcare settings: What duty is owed to medical students?
Author(s) -
tsikelelo O. Mapukata
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
samj. south african medical journal/south african medical journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.527
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 2078-5135
pISSN - 0256-9574
DOI - 10.7196/samj.2019.v109i10.14196
Subject(s) - abandonment (legal) , medicine , duty , primary health care , health care , primary care , nursing , family medicine , environmental health , economic growth , law , population , political science , economics
Much of the literature on patient abandonment focuses on legal implications as an outcome of a unilateral premature termination of a health service without the consent of the patient. The plight of medical students is seldom considered in such instances. Two cases are presented that highlight the issue of patient abandonment during clinical rotations in primary healthcare settings and the impact on the emotional wellbeing of students. Systemic challenges are flagged for consideration, taking into account the projected annual increase in the number of medical students who must be integrated and trained to respond to the needs of South African patients.