A mentally competent patient has the right to refuse care at any time. This means the patient can also change to a new provider at any time. An AMA form is used, usually in a hospital setting, when a person with a life-threatening or serious disease refuses an important treatment or care. Essentially, the AMA form is a legal document that states the patient assumes the risk of stopping treatment even though the physician believes it is medically necessary. An AMA form is not needed and not appropriate in this case since diabetes is a chronic disease. The patient does not need to wait to change doctors until a steady dose of diabetes medication has been achieved. It is not necessary to choose a doctor from a different clinic; the doctor's feelings are irrelevant.