While correctional health care workers may be sued for malpractice, the most common type of lawsuit filed by inmates about health care in the U.S. involves allegations of “deliberate indifference.”
According to US Legal, Inc., “deliberate indifference” is “the conscious or reckless disregard of the consequences of one’s acts or omissions.” To be found guilty of deliberate indifference, prison employees must know that they are creating a substantial risk of bodily harm. So, knowingly ignoring an inmate’s serious medical complaint would be one possible example of this concept. Deliberate indifference violates the inmate’s Eighth Amendment right that prohibits cruel or unusual punishment.
What can you do both to minimize your risk of having lawsuits or other complaints filed against you, and increase the odds that any frivolous complaints that do get filed are dismissed as expediently as possible? Here are a few ideas. This list is by no means comprehensive.
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I’m getting tired of hearing myself talk. You’re probably getting tired of it, too. So, it’s your turn!
Seriously, I really want to hear from you.
Ask me whatever you want about my profession, and I’ll do my best to answer (as long as the questions aren’t too personal or about my employers!).
You may leave your question(s) as comments to this post, or you may e-mail them to me (click on Contact at the top of the page to quickly send me a message).
I look forward to your questions and appreciate the time you take writing them. Please help me make this interesting! Thanks.
Photo by crystaljingsr
“Hey Doc, this guy needs some help.”
I’ve heard that statement from countless correctional officers over the years. Its meaning is very simple: Someone is exhibiting thoughts or behaviors that the officers find disturbing and “not normal.”
I appreciate the officers expressing concern. Without their input I often would not be aware of cases where I might be able to be of assistance.
But, one of the questions that always pops into my head is whether the situation is one in which I can actually help. I certainly would not expect officers to make this decision, but it’s a point I must consider.
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Here are the most popular posts from last month based on the number of views:
1. Treating patients who have been convicted of murder
2. A very comprehensive list of medical blogs
3. How to fit many medical blogs into your busy life
4. Five reasons to consider practicing correctional medicine
5. Saying no to patients while maintaining the doctor-patient relationship
Do you have a favorite?
This blog was born 6 months ago today.
I want to thank all of the readers who visit this blog and especially those who comment on posts. You make all the work worth it! Also, thanks to the other bloggers who have been gracious enough to include Lockup Doc on their blogrolls.
My goal was pretty simple–to write for a broad audience about interesting topics related to correctional and general psychiatry. I wanted to get people thinking about ideas and situations that others weren’t writing about. I also wanted to see how I enjoyed writing regularly.
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Just for fun, I’d like to try to something different today. Regardless of your background, you get to be the correctional psychiatrist! Don’t worry–you won’t need to make a diagnosis or decide on a treatment. I’m going to give you a fictitious scenario, and I’d like to know how you would handle it. It’s that simple. The more people that participate, the more interesting this little exercise will be.
You’ve just arrived at the prison where you work. Your first patient’s name is “Wayne.” He is 19 years old, single, and has been sentenced to two years in prison for drug charges.
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Correctional psychiatrists inevitably treat patients who have been convicted of a broad array of crimes. There is a correlation between the security level of the institutions in which one works and the severity of the crimes of the inmates being housed there.
Since I’ve treated inmates of minimum, medium, and maximum custody levels, I’ve had the opportunity to work with people who have been convicted of everything from drug possession to multiple murders.
What’s it like treating patients who have killed other human beings?
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Here are the top posts from March 2010 based on the number of views:
1. When should psychiatrists discuss their own lives with patients?
2. Can anyone become sadistic if given too much power?
3. Lockup Doc’s interview with a former correctional officer
4. Antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy: What’s the difference?
5. Reducing our temptation to blame the patient
I’ve previously written about the many challenges of practicing medicine in correctional settings. But if there are so many cons (pun intended), why should anyone consider such a career?
Well, there are many benefits to it as well. If you are a psychiatrist or primary care physician and are either looking for a change or just starting your career, you may want to consider correctional medicine.
Although I’ve done correctional work for quite a few years, my experience has been limited to one geographical area of the country. I contacted correctional healthcare recruiter, Vikkie Schill, from MHM Services, Inc., to help me to convey accurate information about this topic. I want to take this opportunity to thank her for her input. I have no relationship either with Ms. Schill or with MHM Services, Inc.
Here are my top 5 reasons to consider a career in correctional medicine:
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