Certified Medical Administrative Assistants (CMAA) Practice Exam

The correct term for when a physician terminates supervision of a patient without notifying them in writing is abandonment. This concept is particularly significant in the medical and legal context as it reflects the physician's duty to provide ongoing care to their patients. When a physician abandons a patient, it means that they have severed the patient-physician relationship without proper notification or sufficient reason, leaving the patient vulnerable and potentially without necessary medical care.

Abandonment can result in significant legal consequences for the physician, as it is viewed as a failure to uphold the standard of care that patients are entitled to expect. In healthcare practice, it is essential for providers to formally communicate their decision to terminate the patient-care relationship, ensuring that patients are aware and can seek alternative care.

Other choices, while related to healthcare, do not accurately define this scenario. Negligence pertains to a failure to provide adequate care which results in harm, malpractice relates specifically to professional misconduct or a failure to meet the standard of care, and withdrawal of care typically involves a more structured process of notifying the patient about the ending of care, often accompanied by referrals or instructions for continued treatment. Therefore, abandonment specifically highlights the issue of improper, uncommunicated termination of care.