title: "Big MAC": the role of consultation liaison psychiatry in hospital medical advisory committees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to describe the participation of a consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatrist within a hospital medical advisory committee (MAC) and examine how this may generally contribute to improved patient care as well as assist in the development of governance within the hospital.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychiatrists have a role in a MAC in enhancing the recognition of psychiatric care issues within the hospital, educating other members of the committee with respect to improved recognition of mental illness affecting hospital inpatients and enhanced care of patients requiring substitute decision-making. The psychiatrist also has a role in advising the committee on psychosocial issues generally affecting the hospital service as well as informing on psychological issues that impact on hospital staff performance. To an extent, CL psychiatry also encompasses issues involving all the other medical craft groups in hospitals, offering the opportunity for a "global" perspective that may be expressed through participation in a MAC.
authors: James Cook University and NT Clinical School, Consultation-Liaison Psychiatrist, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, NT, Australia. robert.parker@nt.gov.au
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Parker
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Chapman
authors: Len
authors: L
authors: Notaras
mesh_terms: D026683:Advisory Committees / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D010819:Physician's Role; D011570:Psychiatry; D012017:Referral and Consultation