Around 9 in 10 practices have "fired" a patient before, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine and updated March 18.
The study looked at 794 practices, posing the question, "In the past 2 years, has your practice ever dismissed a patient from your practice? By dismissing patients, we mean directing patients to leave your practice and seek primary care elsewhere?"
About 67 percent of practices said they had only dismissed between one and 20 patients.
Here are the seven key reasons responding practices "fired" patients over a two-year period:
81 percent: The patient was disruptive or behaved inappropriately toward staff and clinicians
78 percent: The patient violated chronic pain and controlled substance policies
74 percent: The patient repeatedly missed appointments
45 percent: The patient repeatedly did not follow medical recommendations
39 percent: The patient violated bill payment policies
7 percent: The patient repeatedly did not follow recommended lifestyle changes
6 percent: The patient made frequent emergency department visits or self-referred to a specialist