Why Should Physicians Care About What Law Says About Turfing and Dumping Patients?

When a physician refers a patient for a nonclinical reason, that patient has been "turfed." There are numerous reasons why turfing is clinically, legally, and ethically problematic; a main one is that the practice is physician centered and does not serve or center the best interests of patients. Legally, turfing patients is distinct from dumping patients: there are no civil or criminal laws regulating turfing, unlike dumping. Clinically and ethically, however, both turfing and dumping are poor practice, express poor character, and damage patient-physician and interprofessional relationships. This manuscript canvasses clinical, legal, and ethical dimensions of turfing and dumping that deserve investigation.