Abandonment in medical care occurs when a provider who has assumed care stops providing care or leaves the patient under the care of someone with lesser qualifications.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only during weekends
• D. Only if insured

Answer: (A)

Abandonment is the failure to provide ongoing, competent care once a clinician has taken responsibility for a patient. If a provider who has assumed care stops delivering treatment or leaves the patient in the hands of someone less qualified without arranging a proper handoff, the patient is left without appropriate care, which breaches professional duty. This is why the statement is true—that abandonment can occur any time, not just on weekends or based on insurance status. A practical example is a clinician who admits a patient and then withdraws care without securing a transfer to a qualified successor or ensuring a proper transition plan.