News and Updates

NH Psychiatric Society Newsletter
Fall 2007

Inside:

• Commitment of Sex Offenders
• Crisis in State Hospital Bed Availability in NH

Download PDF file (140kb)

November 2007 APA Assembly Report
Robert Feder, M.D.
New Hampshire Assembly Rep

1. Financial Status

   The financial status of the APA remains strong. Operating revenues and reserves both grew over the past two quarters, which should enable the APA to continue its strong support of patient and political advocacy at both National and local levels.

2. Membership

   National membership has consistently grown slowly over the past 5 years. The APA loses between 200-300 members per year, but gains a few hundred more than this each year. National membership continues at 36,000 +.

3. Psychiatric Access in Underserved Areas

   The APA is actively supporting the development of telepsychiatry resources to aid in the delivery of psychiatric services to rural and remote areas. Elizabeth Henderson, M.D. of Mississippi heads a group of APA psychiatrists who are working hard to develop additional ways to improve psychiatric access in underserved areas. In addition to helping serve more patients, these efforts should also support the APA’s work in opposing prescription privileges for non-M.D.s.

4. Position Statement on Release of Patient’s Records to State Medical Boards

   For two years the APA has been attempting to come up with a position statement in this area. This statement was crafted by the Council of Psychiatry and the Law after much hard work. It attempts to balance the need of Medical Boards to protect the public, with the need of patients for confidentiality of their medical records. There was a great deal of debate on this issue, with those members of the APA who serve on Boards of Medicine feeling that the statement goes too far in dictating to Medical Boards how to operate, and possibly impairing their ability to come up with timely decisions in the interest of the general public. The position statement ultimately was passed by a sizable majority, and will likely be approved by the APA Board in December.

5. Position Statement on ECT

   The APA retired a position statement on ECT which was over 15 years old which was felt to be overly detailed and overly defensive. The new position statement, passed by the Assembly and likely to be approved by the Board in December reads:

   “Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) is a safe and effective evidence-based medical treatment. ECT is endorsed by the APA when administered by properly qualified psychiatrists for appropriately selected patients.”

6. Splitting the office of Secretary-Treasurer

   Approximately four years ago, in a cost-saving effort, the National offices of APA Secretary and APA Treasurer were combined into one position. It has become apparent that this is an enormous amount of work for one individual to undertake. With the APA currently under less financial pressure than it was five years ago, the Board has voted to once again separate these two offices. This decision was supported by the Assembly. The next election in which the positions will again be voted on separately will be January 2009.

7. Medical Use of Marijuana

   The Assembly passed three action papers dealing with this subject. The action papers call on the APA to adopt the AMA position statements in this area, which call for increased research by the NIMH, as well as the freedom of physicians to discuss this issue with their patients. The APA action papers also support the protection of physicians and patients involved in State supported programs (so that they are not subject to Federal legal sanctions), and call on the APA Council on Addiction Psychiatry to review the current status of medical knowledge in this area.