PSYCHIATRIC MALPRACTICE, STANDARDS OF CARE...

These evaluations can be requested by the defense or the plaintiff. The reports reflect local jurisdictional standards. The issues of duty, breach of duty, proximate cause and resulting damages will be described in the context of the specific form(s) of the alleged psychiatric malpractice, i.e.

• Failure to obtain information
  
• Failure to appropriately diagnose
  
• Failure to treat
  
• Negligent use of psycho-pharmacologic agents or of psychotherapy
  
• Negligent failure to prevent patients from harming themselves or others
  
• Failure to assess risk of suicide or of violent behavior in a psychiatric patient
  
• Sexual misconduct
  
• Failure to obtain informed consent
  
• Violations of civil rights; false imprisonment/restraints and seclusion
  
• Breach of confidentiality
  
• Abandonment
  
• Negligence in supervision, etc.
  

The format of the report will vary in relation to the form(s) of malpractice in question. The party making the request for the evaluation is responsible for providing the necessary collateral information. (These include and are not limited to complete medical and psychiatric records, copies of non-abbreviated versions of depositions, policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines of an institution/entity involved in the litigation, local jurisdictional standard for determination of malpractice, etc.)