Establishing and Terminating the Physician-Patient Relationship

Abstract

Establishing the physician-patient relationship is the linchpin for any duty a physician may owe a patient. Thus, without a physician-patient relationship, a physician has no duty to the “patient” and cannot be held directly liable for a health care liability claim. The physician-patient relationship is a consensual one and may be agreed to, expressly or impliedly, by the physician. This article addresses what set of facts can establish a physician-patient relationship and, once established, how it can be terminated.