Negative outcomes pertaining to patients that leave against medical advice: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Leaving Against Medical Advice (LAMA) is a prevalent issue in healthcare settings that may lead to negative patient outcomes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the impact of LAMA on patient outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was performed across PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. Studies reporting adverse outcomes, including mortality and hospital readmission rates, in patients who underwent LAMA were included. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using a random-effects model. RESULTS: Eight studies were included in the review, with four contributing to the meta-analysis on 1-year mortality and five to the meta-analysis on hospital readmission rates. LAMA was not significantly associated with higher 1-year mortality [OR = 0.66, 95% CI (0.38, 1.16), p = 0.15] or hospital readmission rates [OR = 0.61, 95% CI (0.30, 1.23), p = 0.16] across the studies. However, there was substantial heterogeneity in the results (I2 = 91% for mortality; I2 = 99% for readmissions). CONCLUSIONS: While individual studies reported varying outcomes, the pooled results did not show a significant association between LAMA and increased 1-year mortality or hospital readmission rates. However, the high degree of heterogeneity suggests the influence of diverse patient populations, healthcare settings, and study methodologies on these outcomes. Further research is needed to better understand the factors contributing to the adverse outcomes associated with LAMA and to develop targeted interventions to mitigate them.

[How to respond to a stubborn refusal of care during delivery]. / Quelle réponse apporter à un refus obstiné de soins lors de l'accouchement ?

Our team was confronted with a situation of stubborn refusal of care, including the indication of a cesarean section for an adult patient able to express her wishes. This refusal was formulated during pregnancy follow-up, during the discussion of the birth plan and during delivery, the patient having accepted the indication of a possible emergency cesarean section under general anesthesia only in the occurrence of severe fetal heart rate abnormalities. The impasse forced caregivers to violate the rules of good clinical practice, which indicated the performance of a cesarean section, and to wait for a complication to arise in order to be able to act, taking the risk of intervening too late. This situation has led to direct risks to the health of the mother and the unborn child, without putting the life of either of them in imminent danger. Finally, the time devoted to this patient in a tense organization was to the detriment of the care of other patients.

[Predictors of Early Treatment Termination in Patients Detained under §64 StGB - A Literature Review]. / Prädiktoren der Erledigung bei nach §64 StGB untergebrachten Patienten ­ Ein Literaturreview.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of addicted offenders detained under § 64 of the German Criminal Code can be terminated prematurely. There is an extensive literature on predictors of such premature termination concerned with factors established before treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to present predictors of premature termination that become apparent during the course of therapy. METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature search and included 16 publications. RESULTS: Patients and therapists rated impulsivity/aggressiveness, substance use relapses and a lack of patient-therapist relationship as negative predictors. Both groups assessed as beneficial the presence of motivation and a positive social network. CONCLUSION: To prevent early treatment termination a positive patient-therapist relationship, motivation and working through incidents during therapy is essential.