Medicine court, II: Rivers in practice
Abstract
The authors conducted a retrospective study of the initial impact (1986- 1987) of the Rivers v. Katz decision involving patients' right to refuse treatment at New York State's largest forensic psychiatric hospital. Of 18 petitions submitted, 15 cases were adjudicated. All 15 patients were found incompetent, and all treatment plans submitted were approved by the court. Most patients selected for Rivers hearings were diagnosed as having chronic schizophrenia and/or were older than the hospital population. A comparison of the implementation of the Rivers decision with that of Rogers v. Commissioner of Mental Health in Massachusetts showed Rogers to be significantly more expensive in human resources, time, and money.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
