Accuracy and completeness of Mental Health Act forms applied to involuntary patients admitted to an inpatient psychiatric ward

Background: The accuracy and completeness of Mental Health Act forms applied to involuntary patients in an inpatient unit is of paramount importance not only for legal but also for patient safety reasons within a hospital. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study of 250 patient charts f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical audit 2021-01, Vol.11, p.11-15
Main Authors: Pasyk, Stanislav, Pikard, Jennifer, Mauer-Vakil, Dane, Munshi, Tariq
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accuracy
Audits
Care and treatment
Consent
Documentation
Ethics
Health care
Health sciences
Hospitals
Internet
Legislation
Medical care
Medical education
Medical ethics
Medical law
Medical records
Medical research
Medicine, Experimental
Mental disorders
Mental health
Online instruction
Patients
Physicians
Psychiatric hospital care
Psychiatric hospitals
Psychiatry
Quality
Quality management
Self evaluation
Surgeons
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Summary:Background: The accuracy and completeness of Mental Health Act forms applied to involuntary patients in an inpatient unit is of paramount importance not only for legal but also for patient safety reasons within a hospital. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective study of 250 patient charts from January 1, 2014 to March 31, 2014. Results: Chart review provided a total of 224 Form 3, 4, 30, and 33 certificates with an overall error rate of 13.19% completion. Of those physicians who completed these certificates, the error rate was 11.63% if a resident physician were to complete and 19.23% if a staff physician were to apply the form. Conclusion: As physicians, there is a legal and moral responsibility to ensure the accuracy of such documentation both ethically and practically as well as a responsibility to the patient and their rights under the Mental Health Act. Keywords: Mental Health Act, Ontario, involuntary, inpatient
ISSN:1179-2760
1179-2760
DOI:10.2147/CA.S177868