How to Approach the Clinical Encounter and Medical Ethics
A 16-year-old male was brought to the emergency department (ED) in police custody for psychiatric evaluation. His girlfriend called 911 because he was hearing voices and threatening to shoot her. He reportedly had a history of schizophrenia and had stopped taking his medications. On arrival, he was attempting to leave the ED: “Let me go! I know my rights!” While in the ED, he stated that he did not want his mother or his psychiatrist to know that he threatened to shoot his girlfriend and did not want this to be in his medical record.
Reflect on how you would approach this dilemma.
