# Clinician Obligations to Care for Patients Infected With Special Pathogens

## TL;DR

This study explores whether clinical leaders in special pathogen treatment centers would let clinicians refuse to care for patients with dangerous infections.

## Contribution

It provides new insights into clinician obligations and institutional policies during high-risk infectious disease outbreaks.

## Key findings

- Most clinical leaders would not allow clinicians to abstain from treating infected patients.
- Leaders emphasized the importance of institutional policies and clinician training in managing special pathogens.
- There was variation in how leaders balanced clinician autonomy with public health responsibilities.

## Abstract

This survey study assesses the views of clinical leaders of the 13 designated Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers in the US regarding whether they would allow clinicians to abstain from caring for infected patients.