Journal articles on the topic 'Psychiatrists Certification'

Psychiatrists and psychologists are under increasing pressure to obtain board certification in their areas of specialization. While this has been the norm for psychiatrists, it is less true for psychologists as of this writing. Regardless, both professionals have been permitted to testify in court without board certification, particularly since the Federal Rules of Evidence 702 tend to be somewhat broad-based in their definition of what constitutes an expert. This article reviews the basic need for board certification and reasons why it should become a requirement for those who practice forensic psychiatry and psychology. The article considers some of the reasons why individuals in both professions may have been reluctant to pursue board certification in the past, as well as some of the pitfalls encountered in the process of becoming certified. Further discussion illuminates the need for psychiatrists and psychologists to adhere to rigid requirements for credentialing and to avoid dubious alternatives such as so-called “vanity” boards that offer ongoing grandfathering periods without rigorous credentials reviews and examination. The impact of such questionable credentials on the forensic field is also discussed.

SUMMARYThe private ownership of firearms for participation in shooting sports, subject to a rigorous process of certification by the police, is not uncommon in the UK. Primary care medical involvement in this process is currently a contentious issue. The mental health of firearms owners is clearly germane to public safety: suicide is by far the greatest concern, alongside security breaches. Homicide committed with legally held firearms is very rare: there is very little cross-over between legitimate shooting sports and crime involving firearms. The perpetrators of family annihilation and single-incident mass killings using firearms in the UK have not been known to psychiatry, although a minority have been found to be mentally disordered post hoc. Regarding suicidality, there is little if any difference between those at risk who own firearms and those who do not, excepting that firearm suicide attempts are highly likely to be fatal. Guidance is offered in this article on the identification of patients who own firearms, the evaluation of risks and how to manage these in practical terms.LEARNING OBJECTIVESAfter reading this article you will be able to: •demonstrate a basic knowledge of varieties of sporting firearms and understand the differences between legitimate and criminal use of firearms in the UK•appreciate mental health problems related to the private ownership of firearms and the risks of suicidality•understand the role of the police in certification and how to raise concerns when a patient's access to firearms is an issue.

Background: The US Department of Health and Human Services has recommended that physicians performing interventional pain procedures be credentialed based on criteria‑based guidelines and minimum training requirements. Objectives: To quantitatively assess gaps in certification related to pain medicine fellowship requirements, we studied the distribution of such procedures in Florida between 2010 and 2016. Study Design: This research involved a retrospective analysis with a sample size of n = 1,885,442 interventional pain procedures. Setting: Data describing interventional pain procedures performed in Florida between January 2010 and December 2016 were obtained from the Florida Department of Health. The National Provider Identifier file and board certification lists from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Board of Pain Medicine (ABPM), and the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians (ABIPP) corresponding to this time frame were also obtained. Methods: The datasets were linked to determine the specialty of physicians performing interventional pain procedures, and whether or not they were pain medicine diplomates of the ABMS, the ABPM, or the ABIPP. The similarity index Θ was calculated for the distribution of interventional pain procedure codes among medical specialty groups, and with respect to the practitioners’ pain medicine board certification status. Results: Of the interventional pain procedures, anesthesiologists performed 63.5%, physiatrists 19.1%, neurologists or psychiatrists 5.2%, and other practitioners 12.3%. Among procedures performed by anesthesiologists, physiatrists, and psychiatrists or neurologists, 66.2%, 50.3%, and 50.4% were by ABMS pain board-certified practitioners, respectively. Practitioners without ABMS pain medicine boards performed 45.8% of interventional pain procedures. Practitioners without such boards from either the ABMS, ABPM, or ABIPP performed 37.7%. There was very large similarity (Θ > 0.9) in the distribution of procedures comparing ABMS pain medicine boardcertified practitioners to non-ABMS pain medicine board-certified anesthesiologists, physiatrists, or all other specialties. Limitations: In countries other than the United States, where pain medicine board certification is relatively recent, there may be a higher percentage of interventional pain procedures performed by individuals without certification than we report. In “opt-out” states, where nurse anesthetists can independently perform interventional pain procedures, the percentage of interventional pain procedures performed by individuals without physician pain medicine board certification may also be higher. The datasets we used do not contain information to allow assessment of outcomes or effectiveness resulting from pain medicine board certification. Conclusions: Approximately one-third of interventional pain procedures were performed by physicians without at least 1 of the 3 pain medicine board certifications. In addition, the practitioners performed very similar distributions of procedures (i.e., those without pain medicine board certification, overall, have not restricted their practice). These results suggest the need for additional accredited pain medicine fellowship training positions for newly graduated residents. The results also show that, for the recommendations of the Department of Health and Human Services to be satisfied, physicians without board certification performing intervention procedures would need to obtain ABPM or ABIPP certification, or ABMS certification after completion of a full-time Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education pain medicine fellowship. Key words: Chronic pain, education, medical, graduate, specialty boards

Geriatric psychiatry was officially recognized as a subspecialty by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) in 2009, with the first RCPSC exam written in 2013 (Andrew and Shea, 2010). The unique mental health needs of Canadians’ seniors requires geriatric psychiatrists trained to address them (Herrmann, 2004), but current rates of recruitment in informal fellowship programs have been inadequate (Bragg et al., 2012). One hope of subspeciality recognition was to increase recruitment in Canada, but there have been some challenges in accrediting psychiatrists already caring for older adults. Many currently practicing geriatric psychiatrists have elected to take the Royal College examination, with >120 graduates in the first year, 2013, but others have been more ambivalent. In this letter, we perform a preliminary exploration of the prevalence and correlates of disinterest in completing the RCPSC geriatric psychiatry examination.

AbstractThe European Union Free Movement Directive gives professionals the opportunity to work and live within the European Union, but does not give specific requirements regarding how the specialists in medicine have to be trained, with the exception of a required minimum of 4 years of education. Efforts have been undertaken to harmonize post-graduate training in psychiatry in Europe since the Treaty of Rome 1957, with the founding of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and establishment of a charter outlining how psychiatrists should be trained. However, the different curricula for post-graduate training were only compared by surveys, never through a systematic review of the official national requirements. The published survey data still shows great differences between European countries and unlike other UEMS Boards, the Board of Psychiatry did not introduce a certification for specialists willing to practice in a foreign country within Europe. Such a European certification could help to keep a high qualification level for post-graduate training in psychiatry all over Europe. Moreover, it would make it easier for employers to assess the educational level of European psychiatrists applying for a job in their field.

Introduction: Preparing a report and passing certification for a qualification category is one of the forms of improving the professional level of each medical worker. Material and methods: The analysis of 5 qualification works of a psychiatrist (1997, 2002, 2008, 2013, and 2018) was carried out for the mandatory requirements for the preparation of documents when they were submitted to the Attestation Commission on the assignment of a qualifying medical category in psychiatry and formation methodological approaches to their implementation. The depth of research was 27 years. Results: Methodological approaches to the design of 11 mandatory sections provided for in the certification work of a psychiatrist presented for the award of a qualification category were considered. Discussion: The attitude to the Administrative Regulations for the provision of state services for the assignment of a qualification category to specialists engaged in medical and pharmaceutical activities should be revised in terms of its synchronization with the official duties of a doctor. Conclusion: The dynamic development of the regulatory, organizational, methodological, and scientific aspects of medicine and psychiatry, in particular, in the period of active digitalization of healthcare, requires periodic corporate discussion and correction of the Administrative Regulations for the provision of public services for assigning a qualification category to specialists engaged in medical and pharmaceutical activities. Attention should be paid to the insufficient statistical processing of the submitted materials by applicants for the assignment of the 1st and highest categories, the lack of calculations, references, and comparisons of confidence intervals, and the reliability of the study. Preparing a report and passing certification for a qualification category can be the first step in introducing a practitioner to scientific work through the generalization of personal work experience, worthy of speaking at a scientific and practical conference at the level of LU and the region and publishing abstracts in collections and scientific and practical journals. The proposed methodological approaches are purely advisory in nature and can be used by psychiatrists when working on a qualification category at their discretion.

ObjectiveTo describe the development and current status of training and certification in clinical neurophysiology (CNP); to explore the impact of the newer subspecialties in sleep medicine, neuromuscular medicine, and epilepsy; and to obtain information about aspects of practice in the subspecialty.MethodsInformation about training programs and certification was obtained from the records of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and diplomates were surveyed about their CNP practice activities and attitudes toward certification/recertification.ResultsIn the years since the first examination was administered, a robust number of CNP training programs developed, but recently, there has been a decrease in the number of programs and fellows, although the number of programs and fellows in the subspecialties of epilepsy, neuromuscular medicine, and sleep medicine has increased. A diplomate survey indicated that most respondents devoted significant practice time to CNP procedures, especially to EEGs and EMGs. Although more diplomates performed EEGs than EMGs, a substantial portion performed both. Most diplomates were planning to or had maintained certification in CNP.ConclusionOver 3,000 neurologists, child neurologists, and psychiatrists have obtained certification in CNP, and the majority are participating in recertification. Although the newer and overlapping subspecialties of epilepsy, neuromuscular medicine, and sleep medicine may be having a negative impact on CNP, it continues to have a relatively large number of programs and attracts a relatively large number of fellows.

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore Finnish physicians’ perceptions of sickness absence (SA) certification. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 50% of the physicians in Finland who provide care to working-age patients in a clinical practice setting. Of the 8867 physicians, 3089 responded. Physicians handling SA certification patients at least a few times per month were included ( n = 2472). Results: At least a few times per month, 61% of all physicians perceived SA issues as problematic, 60% had experienced a lack of time in dealing with SA matters, 36% had disagreed with a patient on SA certification, and 36% had met a patient who wanted a SA certificate for reasons other than a disease or injury. Physicians were least worried about patients filing complaints (4%), exhibiting threatening behaviour (2%), or switching physicians for SA certification reasons (1%). A total of 60% of physicians had prescribed SA for a longer period than necessary because of long waiting times for further care/measures. Non-specialized physicians, general practitioners, and psychiatrists experienced problems more frequently than surgeons and occupational health physicians. Over 50% of the respondents had a fairly large or very large need to deepen their knowledge of social insurance matters. The need for national guidelines for all or some diseases was reported by 80% of the respondents. Conclusions: Many physicians perceive SA tasks as problematic and are unable to dedicate enough time to them. Shortcomings in physicians’ sickness certification know-how, as well as obstacles in the healthcare and rehabilitation system, prolong the SA process. Attitudes towards the adoption of national guidelines on the duration of SA were positive.

Background Prior to the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), telemental health to support mental health services was primarily designed for individuals with professional clinical degrees, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, registered nurses, and licensed clinical social workers. For the first the time in history, peer support specialists are offering Medicaid-reimbursable telemental health services during the COVID-19 crisis; however, little effort has been made to train peer support specialists on telehealth practice and delivery. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the impact of the Digital Peer Support Certification on peer support specialists’ capacity to use digital peer support technology. Methods The Digital Peer Support Certification was co-produced with peer support specialists and included an education and simulation training session, synchronous and asynchronous support services, and audit and feedback. Participants included 9 certified peer support specialists between the ages of 25 and 54 years (mean 39 years) who were employed as peer support specialists for 1 to 11 years (mean 4.25 years) and had access to a work-funded smartphone device and data plan. A pre-post design was implemented to examine the impact of the Digital Peer Support Certification on peer support specialists’ capacity to use technology over a 3-month timeframe. Data were collected at baseline, 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months. Results Overall, an upward trend in peer support specialists’ capacity to offer digital peer support occurred during the 3-month certification period. Conclusions The Digital Peer Support Certification shows promising evidence of increasing the capacity of peer support specialists to use specific digital peer support technology features. Our findings also highlighted that this capacity was less likely to increase with training alone and that a combinational knowledge translation approach that includes both training and management will be more successful.

Abstract Background Studies across a range of specialties have consistently yielded positive associations between performance on in-training examinations and board certification examinations, supporting the use of the in-training examination as a valuable formative feedback tool for residents and residency programs. That association to date, however, has not been tested in child and adolescent psychiatry residents. Objective This is the first study to explore the relationship between performance on the American College of Psychiatrists' Child Psychiatry Resident In-Training Examination (CHILD PRITE) and subsequent performance on the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology's (ABPN) subspecialty multiple-choice examination (Part I) in child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP). Methods Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the relationship between performance on the CHILD PRITE and the CAP Part I examination for 342 fellows. Results Second-year CAP fellows performed significantly better on the CHILD PRITE than did the first-year fellows. The correlation between the CHILD PRITE total score and the CAP Part I examination total score was .41 (P = .01) for first-year CAP fellows; it was .52 (P = .01) for second-year CAP fellows. Conclusions The significant correlations between scores on the 2 tests show they assess the same achievement domain. This supports the use of the CHILD PRITE as a valid measure of medical knowledge and formative feedback tool in child and adolescent psychiatry.

IntroductionElectroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective NICE-approved treatment for severe depression, treatment-resistant mania and catatonia; the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ (RCPsych) guidelines also support its use fourth line for treatment-resistant schizophrenia.ObjectivesEvaluate the use of ECT at Broadmoor High Secure psychiatric hospital, focusing on the indications for its prescription and patients’ capacity to consent.MethodAnalyse case records of all patients who received ECT, and of all patients referred for Second Opinion Appointed Doctor (SOAD) certified ECT treatment under Section 58 of the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) due to incapacity, between 01.09.11 and 30.07.15.ResultsAll patients lacked capacity to consent to treatment during this time. Thirty-three referrals were made to the SOAD service for 15 patients, and of these 30 resulted in certification (T6) of which 10 were not subsequently used. Improvements in mental state and agreement to take clozapine were common reasons for T6s either not being certified or used. Urgent treatment under Section 62 of the MHA was employed 7 times for 4 patients during this period. Of the referrals to the SOAD service, 25 were for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, 5 for mania, 3 for catatonia and none for depression.ConclusionsThose patients requiring ECT within this population tended to be the most unwell and all lacked the capacity to consent to it. The majority (76%) of patients receiving ECT at Broadmoor do so outside of NICE (but within RCPsych) guidelines. ECT may be an effective strategy for promoting compliance with clozapine.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

List of abstacts and authors:1. Integrating the art and science of psychiatryEugene Allers2. Chronic pain as a predictor of outcome in an inpatient Psychiatric populationEugene Allers and Gerhard Grundling3. Recent advances in social phobiaChrister Allgulander4. Clinical management of patients with anxiety disordersChrister Allgulander5. Do elephants suffer from Schizophrenia? (Or do the Schizophrenias represent a disorder of self consciousness?) A Southern African perspectiveSean Exner Baumann6. Long term maintenance treatment of Bipolar Disorder: Preventing relapseCharles L. Bowden7. Predictors of response to treatments for Bipolar DisorderCharles L. Bowden8. Aids/HIV knowledge and high risk behaviour: A Geo-graphical comparison in a schizophrenia populationP Buckley, S van Vuuren, L Koen, J E Muller, C Seller, H Lategan, D J H Niehaus9. Does Marijuana make you go mad?David J Castle10. Understanding and management of Treatment Resistant SchizophreniaDavid J Castle11. Workshop on research and publishingDavid J Castle12. From victim to victor: Without a self-help bookBeatrix Jacqueline Coetzee13. The evaluation of the Gender Dysphoric patientFranco Colin14. Dissociation: A South African modelA M Dikobe, C K Mataboge, L M Motlana, B F Sokudela, C Kruger15. Designated smoking rooms...and other "Secret sins" of psychiatry: Tobacco cessation approaches in the severely mentally illCharl Els16. Dual diagnosis: Implications for treatment and prognosisCharl Els17. Body weight, glucose metabolism and the new generation antipsychoticsRobin Emsley18. Neurological abnormalities in first episode Schizophrenia: Temporal stability and clinical and outcome correlatesRobin Emsley, H Jadri Turner, Piet P Oosthuizen, Jonathan Carr19. Mythology of depressive illnesses among AfricansSenathi Fisha20. Substance use and High school dropoutAlan J. Flisher, Lorraine Townsend, Perpetual Chikobvu, Carl Lombard, Gary King21. Psychosis and Psychotic disordersA E Gangat 22. Vulnerability of individuals in a family system to develop a psychiatric disorderGerhard Grundling and Eugene Allers23. What does it Uberhaupt mean to "Integrate"?Jürgen Harms24. Research issues in South African child and adolescent psychiatryS M Hawkridge25. New religious movements and psychiatry: The Good NewsV H Hitzeroth26. The pregnant heroin addict: Integrating theory and practice in the development and provision of a service for this client groupV H Hitzeroth, L Kramer27. Autism spectrum disorderErick Hollander28. Recent advances and management in treatment resistanceEric Hollander29. Bipolar mixed statesM. Leigh Janet30. Profile of acute psychiatric inpatients tested for HIV - Helen Jospeh Hospital, JohannesburgA B R Janse van Rensburg31. ADHD - Using the art of film-making as an education mediumShabeer Ahmed Jeeva32. Treatment of adult ADHD co-morbiditiesShabeer Ahmed Jeeva33. Needs and services at ward one, Valkenberg HospitalDr J. A. Joska, Prof. A.J. Flisher34. Unanswered questions in the adequate treatment of depressionModerator: Dr Andre F JoubertExpert: Prof. Tony Hale35. Unanswered questions in treatment resistant depressionModerator: Dr Andre F JoubertExpert: Prof. Sidney Kennedy36. Are mentally ill people dangerous?Sen Z Kaliski37. The child custody circusSean Z. Kaliski38. The appropriatenes of certification of patients to psychiatric hospitalsV. N. Khanyile39. HIV/Aids Psychosocial responses and ethical dilemmasFred Kigozi40. Sex and PsychiatryB Levinson41. Violence and abuse in psychiatric in-patient institutions: A South African perspectiveMarilyn Lucas, John Weinkoove, Dean Stevenson42. Public health sector expenditure for mental health - A baseline study for South AfricaE N Madela-Mntla43. HIV in South Africa: Depression and CD4 countM Y H Moosa, F Y Jeenah44. Clinical strategies in dealing with treatment resistant schizophreniaPiet Oosthuizen, Dana Niehaus, Liezl Koen45. Buprenorphine/Naloxone maintenance in office practice: 18 months and 170 patients after the American releaseTed Parran Jr, Chris Adelman46. Integration of Pharmacotherapy for Opioid dependence into general psychiatric practice: Naltrexone, Methadone and Buprenorphine/ NaloxoneTed Parran47. Our African understanding of individulalism and communitarianismWillie Pienaar48. Healthy ageing and the prevention of DementiaFelix Potocnik, Susan van Rensburg, Christianne Bouwens49. Indigenous plants and methods used by traditional African healers for treatinf psychiatric patients in the Soutpansberg Area (Research was done in 1998)Ramovha Muvhango Rachel50. Symptom pattern & associated psychiatric disorders in subjects with possible & confirmed 22Q11 deletional syndromeJ.L. Roos, H.W. Pretorius, M. Karayiorgou51. Duration of antidepressant treatment: How long is long enough? How long is too longSteven P Roose52. A comparison study of early non-psychotic deviant behaviour in the first ten years of life, in Afrikaner patients with Schizophrenia, Schizo-affective disorder and Bipolar disorderMartin Scholtz, Melissa Janse van Rensburg, J. Louw Roos53. Treatment, treatment issues, and prevention of PTSD in women: An updateSoraya Seedat54. Fron neural networks to clinical practiceM Spitzer55. Opening keynote presentation: The art and science of PsychiatryM Spitzer56. The future of Pharmacotherapy for anxiety disordersDan J. Stein57. Neuropsychological deficits pre and post Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) thrice a week: A report of four casesUgash Subramaney, Yusuf Moosa58. Prevalence of and risk factors for Tradive Dyskinesia in a Xhosa population in the Eastern CapeDave Singler, Betty D. Patterson, Sandi Willows59. Eating disorders: Addictive disorders?Christopher Paul Szabo60. Ethical challenges and dilemmas of research in third world countriesGodfrey B. Tangwa61. The interface between Neurology and Psychiatry with specific focus on Somatoform dissociative disordersMichael Trimble62. Prevalence and correlates of depression and anxiety in doctors and teachersH Van der Bijl, P Oosthuizen63. Ingrid Jonker: A psychological analysisL. M. van der Merwe64. The strange world we live in, and the nature of the human subjectVasi van Deventer65. Art in psychiatry: Appendix or brain stem?C W van Staden66. Medical students on what "Soft skills" are about before and after curriculum reformC W van Staden, P M Joubert, A-M Bergh, G E Pickworth, W J Schurink, R R du Preez, J L Roos, C Kruger, S V Grey, B G Lindeque67. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - Medical management. Methylphenidate (Ritalin) or Atomoxetine (Strattera)Andre Venter68. A comprehensive guide to the treatment of adults with ADHDW J C Verbeeck69. Treatment of Insomnia: Stasis of the Art?G C Verster70. Are prisoners vulnerable research participants?Merryll Vorster71. Psychiatric disorders in the gymMerryl Vorster72. Ciprales: Effects on anxiety symptoms in Major Depressive DisorderBruce Lydiard

Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is one of the common diagnoses often encountered in psychiatry(1). As with many neurodevelopmental disorders early identification, specific intense remediation, appropriate management of comorbid conditions, coordination with teachers and parents and engaging the child long-term are the mainstay of management of SLD. Each of these steps pose unique challenges due to the inherent complexity of SLD, lack of uniform, standardised curriculum and testing methods, wide regional variations in definition, assessment and certification in SLD, strained relationship between professionals of various disciplines and lack of custommade tools for screening, assessment and follow-up in native (Indian) languages(2).

Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) is one of the common diagnoses often encountered in psychiatry(1). As with many neurodevelopmental disorders early identification, specific intense remediation, appropriate management of comorbid conditions, coordination with teachers and parents and engaging the child long-term are the mainstay of management of SLD. Each of these steps pose unique challenges due to the inherent complexity of SLD, lack of uniform, standardised curriculum and testing methods, wide regional variations in definition, assessment and certification in SLD, strained relationship between professionals of various disciplines and lack of custommade tools for screening, assessment and follow-up in native (Indian) languages(2).

This article will demonstrate the significant influence that psychiatric consultants exerted on the policy of the British Board of Film Censors (BBFC) and, as a result, on cinematic representations of mental illness and psychiatric practices during what Arthur Marwick (2005) called the ‘long 1960s’. Drawing upon extensive research at the British Board of Film Classification archives, this article complicates dominant narratives of British censorship in highlighting how John Trevelyan, appointed as Secretary of the BBFC in 1958 and frequently depicted as a liberalising force, deferred to psychiatric expertise outside the BBFC in making decisions about film censorship and certification and, in some instances, scriptwriting and editing. This article will explain how a proliferation of American and, later, British films dealing with mental illness caused BBFC examiners to lose confidence in their ability to make censorship decisions in the mid-1960s. Initially, this loss of confidence prompted consultation with the influential British mental health organisation, the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH) and, subsequently, a small group of trusted medical professionals, referred to as ‘psychiatrist friends’, who decided on cuts and certification of films including The Caretakers (1963), The Collector (1965) and Repulsion (1965). As a result, the BBFC moved from a default position of prohibition to one of enabling ‘serious’ films that promoted mental health awareness and discussion of contemporary mental health issues. This article aims to offer new insights into the policies, processes and practices of the BBFC, to contextualise censorship within historical debates about mental health representation and to highlight the mutually productive interactions that took place between the fields of mental health and cinema.