Assessment of Behavioral Emergencies Differs for Emergency Medicine and Psychiatry Residents

The two groups had only fair agreement about the need for involuntary hold.

In a prospective study at an urban academic hospital, researchers assessed agreement between emergency medicine (EM) and psychiatry residents about diagnosis and disposition in behavioral emergencies. When a psychiatric consultation was requested for an emergency department patient during a 1-year period, EM and psychiatry residents were each asked to fill out a questionnaire about their psychiatric assessment, including whether the patient presented a danger to himself or herself or others, was gravely disabled, or needed psychiatric hold or hospitalization. All residents were expected to consult with supervising attending physicians while caring for the patients.

Surveys were completed by a resident from each of the two specialties for 408…

Reviewing Author

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)

Diane M. Birnbaumer, MD, FACEP

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardSecurisyn

Editorial boardsThe Merck Manuals (Home and Physician Editions)