Posted by Mitchell on June 18, 2001, at 14:52:25
In reply to Pdocs doing physical exams?????????, posted by Cecilia on June 16, 2001, at 4:31:11
Physical examinations are required by law upon admission to some psychiatric hospitals. Kentucky, for example, requires a physical examination within seven days before or 24 hours after admission to a psychiatric hospital.
Physical examinations may be conducted by a physicians assistant, a certified nurse practitioner, a staff physician, a family physician, a neurologist or a psychiatrist. Physical examinations, in a psychiatric setting, explore contraindications and reactions to psychiatric medications, and seek to discover underlying physical and neurological problems that might be the basis of psychiatric complaints. Elements of a psychiatric physical examination can include simple observations, of which the patient might not be aware.
The quality of information developed in a physical examination can reflect individual practices of a clinic or clinical practitioner as well as the expectations of the consumer. Many clinical practitioners often fail to assess data beyond their narrow area of specialization. Without a comprehensive neurological assessment, by staff or by another clinic, a psychatrist might treat psychiatric complaints, but miss underlying neurological deficits that can cause life-long psychiatric complaints.
poster:Mitchell
thread:66682
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010618/msgs/66985.html