Psychiatrists routinely encounter legal and regulatory issues in the practice of psychiatry. This review provides an overview of the psychiatrist’s duties and responsibilities in the doctor-patient relationship and common legal issues arising in clinical practice, with reference to US statutory and regulatory practices. The field of forensic psychiatry is described, and the roles of the forensic evaluator and the treatment provider are compared.
This review contains 2 figures, 5 tables, and 64 references.
Key words: civil commitment, confidentiality, duty to third parties, forensic psychiatry, guardianship, gun ownership, medical decision making, medical marijuana, risk assessment