The Psychiatrist as a Member of the Emergency Room Team

Increasing emphasis upon secondary prevention (early case-finding and treatment) has encouraged the setting up of walk-in or emergency psychiatric facilities where people in crisis can find immediate help. One promising alternative to the creation of separate clinics for such services is the addition of a psychiatrist to the general hospital emergency room staff. This arrangement also offers the opportunity for the psychiatrist to establish closer liaison between medical and psychiatric services in the hospital.