title: The development of internal forensic review boards in the management of hospitalized insanity acquittees.
abstract: When working well, internal forensic review boards generally: (1) have the support of the courts and communities; (2) consider and review effective individual treatment and public safety; (3) permit direct care treatment teams the opportunity to advocate for the patient; (4) focus clinical and security considerations on the individual patient rather than dwelling on system issues; (5) identify resource needs for inpatient and community care; (6) provide a foundation for monitoring patient adjustment to various levels of stressors, both in the hospital and the community; (7) provide a mechanism for timely crisis intervention for individual patients; (8) afford administrative and clinical staff a mechanism for peer review; (9) are cost effective compared with external review boards; (10) provide data and a tracking mechanism for quality improvement for the forensic system of care; and (11) provide an education/training function for direct care and professional staff.
authors.affiliation: Forensic Services, District of Columbia Commission on Mental Health Services, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Wise
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007298:Insanity Defense; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011367:Professional Staff Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011786:Quality Control