The psychiatrist as medical backup: ambiguity in the delegation of clinical responsibility.

Abstract

When the psychiatrist functions as medical backup, i.e., in a setting of delegated clinical responsibility, a number of problems may arise, originating from factors in the patient, in the physician, in the staff member to whom responsibility is delegated, and in the setting itself. The authors delineate these problem areas through case examples and discuss the implications for multidisciplinary training.