title: The American Psychiatric Association's resource document on guidelines for psychiatric fitness-for-duty evaluations of physicians.
abstract: The psychiatric evaluation of a physician's fitness for duty is an undertaking that is both important to patients' well-being and to the physician-subject of the evaluation. It is necessary that psychiatrists who agree to perform such evaluations proceed in a careful and thorough manner. This document was developed to provide general guidance to the psychiatric evaluators in these situations. It was prepared by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Council on Psychiatry and Law and Corresponding Committee on Physician Health, Illness, and Impairment, of which the authors are members. The Resource Document was approved by the APA Joint Reference Committee in June 2004. APA Resource Documents do not represent official policy of the American Psychiatric Association. This Resource Document was edited to conform to Journal style and has therefore been modified slightly from the original document approved by the APA.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA. saanfang@aol.com
authors.forename: Stuart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Anfang
authors.forename: Larry R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Faulkner
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fromson
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Gendel
mesh_terms: D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D016743:Mental Competency / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011640:Public Policy; D014481:United States