Should Physicians Report Suspected Self-Neglect?

American Medical News, the newspaper of the American Medical Association, published an article for its ethics forum this week address the responsibility of a physician to report self-neglect in patients.

Older patients with chronic conditions can, over time, lose the ability to care for their own basic needs and safety. But how can physicians maintain respect for a patient's autonomy while assessing self-neglect?

In her conclusion, Lisa Gibbs, M.D., associate clinical professor of geriatrics at UC Irvine, concludes that physicians have a obligation to report self-neglect.

. . .physicians who see older patients -- or even patients living alone without family members or social support -- have an obligation to recognize and pursue explanations for signs and behavior that may signal self-neglect. Acting on these signals is not always comfortable -- particularly if patients' spouses or other family members are in the picture. But self-neglect exposes patients to greater risk for morbidity and mortality that can be avoided once it is recognized and managed. The physician's role is clear.