The Psychiatrist as a Member of the Emergency Room Team
JACK ZUSMAN M.D.1
1 Chief, Center for Epidemiologic Studies, National Institute of Mental Health, 5454 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Md. 20203
Increasing emphasis upon secondary prevention (early case-finding and treatment) has encouraged the setting up of walk-in or emergency psychiatric facilities where people in crisis can find immediate help. One promising alternative to the creation of separate clinics for such services is the addition of a psychiatrist to the general hospital emergency room staff. This arrangement also offers the opportunity for the psychiatrist to establish closer liaison between medical and psychiatric services in the hospital.
