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. 2022 Feb 1;24(2):E111-119.
doi: 10.1001/amajethics.2022.111.

How Should Clinicians Determine a Traumatized Patient's Readiness to Return to Work?

[Article in English, Spanish]
Tabitha E H Moses  1 , Arash Javanbakht  2
Affiliations

How Should Clinicians Determine a Traumatized Patient's Readiness to Return to Work?

[Article in English, Spanish]
Tabitha E H Moses et al. AMA J Ethics. .

Abstract
in English, Spanish

A clinician's standard primary role is to treat and monitor their patients' health and to be their ally. Clinicians with obligations to patients and to organizations, however, must also assess patients for nontherapeutic purposes (eg, readiness to resume work). These 2 obligations can conflict, and, when they do, clinicians must balance their duties to patients and to society. We propose criteria clinicians should consider when determining a patient's readiness to return to work and offer recommendations for interpreting factors that influence this decision.

La función principal de un médico es tratar y controlar la salud de sus pacientes, además de ser su aliado. Sin embargo, los médicos que tienen obligaciones con los pacientes y con las organizaciones también deben evaluar a los pacientes con fines no terapéuticos (p. ej., su disposición a reincorporarse al trabajo). Estas dos obligaciones pueden entrar en conflicto y, cuando lo hacen, los médicos deben equilibrar sus deberes con los pacientes y con la sociedad. Proponemos los criterios que los médicos deberían tener en cuenta al determinar si un paciente está preparado para volver al trabajo y ofrecemos recomendaciones para interpretar los factores que influyen en esta decisión.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Tabitha Moses is an unpaid student representative to the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors. Dr Javanbakht had no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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