Causes of Discharge against Medical Advice in Hospitals Affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, 2014

Background and Discharge against medical advice (AMA) has negative impacts on treatment outcomes and health care resources. Also, physicians and hospital administrators get involved in litigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of AMA discharges in different wards and emergency departments in teaching and nonteaching hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences.
This cross-sectional study was performed investigating the AMA leaves within 6 months in 2014. Data was obtained from the Department of Medical Records and the Office of Quality Improvement. Data was recorded in a questionnaire consisting of two parts. Part I included demographic information and Part II was about the reasons of discharge against medical advice. Data was aggregated by expert staff in Office of Quality Improvement. SPSS V.18 was applied for data analysis.
The prevalence of AMA leaves in emergency department and other wards in teaching hospitals affiliated with Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences was 3.81% and 4.38%, respectively. These figures in nonteaching hospitals were 8.38 % and 1.59%, respectively. The most common causes of discharge against medical advice were partial recovery, lack of trust in service quality, feeling uncomfortable, and emotional reasons.
To reduce the rate of AMA leaves and its consequences, health care staff should be supportive towards the patients and communicate effectively in order to build their confidence.