discrimination

Introduction

Forms:

• gender discrimination
• racial discrimination
• discrimination based on sexual orientation

marital status NOT included in forms of discrimination Complaints:

• must be made within 45 days of alleged act

Management

• a physician when faced with a request that seems discriminatory
  • ensure that the patient is stable
  • assess decision-making capacity
  • determine the reason for the request
• only then decide whether to accomodate, negotiate, offer transfer or set limits of acceptable behavior

* patients do not have the right to demand clinically irrelevant characteristics of their clinician(s)