Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147:994-997
Copyright © 1990 by American Psychiatric Association
Avoiding negligent release: contemporary clinical and risk management strategies
NG Poythress Jr
Taylor Hardin Secure Medical Facility, Tuscaloosa, AL 35404.
Mental health professionals often must decide whether to release a
psychiatric patient who has been committed for treatment on the basis of
being mentally ill and dangerous. This decision involves liability risks if
the patient becomes violent after release. The author draws together
several recommendations made in the literature regarding the careful
development and implementation of hospital release procedures, including 1)
special consultation at the policy development stage, 2) preemptive
judgments regarding the adequacy of hospital policies in relation to the
professional standard of care, and 3) the use of videotaped exit interviews
with patients at the time of their release.
