Cross-Examining Psych Doctors - Tip #5

Cross Examining Psych Doctors - Tip #5-Mental Status Examinations

Information about a patient's credibility can be found in the doctor's report of their face-to-face Mental Status Examination (MSE). An MSE provides a set of observations of the patient that are made by the doctor employing a relatively standard set of examination techniques and observations. At the very least the data in the MSE should be consistent with the data found in the doctor's history, the psychological testing, and the patient's medical records. The MSE should also contain information about the doctor's observations of the patient' consistency vs. inconsistency and vagueness vs. clarity both of which speak to the patient's credibility. A complete description of MSE's can be found in my book Psychological Evaluations in Litigation: A Guide for Attorneys and Insurance Adjusters that can be read or downloaded for free on my website. You can also find copies of my monthly newsletters further addressing MSE's

     More tips and free tools for help in cross-examining psych doctors and preparing briefs for the court can be found at www.drleckartwetc.com