Involuntary Processes: Knowledge Base of Health Care Professionals in a Tertiary Medical Center in Upstate South Carolina

• Published in: Community mental health journal Vol. 54; no. 2; pp. 149 - 157
• Main Authors: Holder, Sharon M., Warren, Calvert, Rogers, Kenneth, Griffeth, Benjamin, Peterson, Eunice, Blackhurst, Dawn, Ochonma, Christian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.02.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Caregivers; Commitment of Mentally Ill - legislation & jurisprudence; Community and Environmental Psychology; Doctors' assistants; Emergency Service, Hospital; Emergency services; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health services; Hospitalization; Humans; Involuntary; Knowledge; Knowledge base; Law; Medical personnel; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - therapy; Mental health; Nurse practitioners; Nurses; Original Paper; Patients; Personnel, Hospital - psychology; Personnel, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Physicians; Psychiatry; Social workers; South Carolina; Surveys and Questionnaires; Sympathy; Technicians; Tertiary Care Centers; South Carolina; United States > US; Commitment processes; Emergency department; Health care professionals; Involuntary processes
• ISSN: 0010-3853; 1573-2789
• DOI: 10.1007/s10597-017-0115-x

The involuntary hospitalization law provides a means by which love ones, caregivers and healthcare professionals can intervene when a mentally ill patient is a danger to self or others. Our study assessed the knowledge of professionals in one of the Greenville Health System (GHS) emergency department (ED) about the involuntary hospitalization process of mental health patients in South Carolina (SC). An eight item survey on the South Carolina involuntary hospitalization and commitment process was developed and distributed to GHS ED staff including: physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers and technicians. Our findings indicated that the knowledge base is not consistent across healthcare discipline, nor is it sufficient given that most professionals achieved less than 50% correct response. This study has implications for ongoing education for ED healthcare workers which will be of significant importance to promote beneficence and to uphold the standards of patientcentered practice and compassionate medicine.