Puget Sound Psychiatric Center

Sound Psychiatric Health for Puget Sound

Puget Sound Psychiatric Center

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Welcome to the Puget Sound Psychiatric Center

 

 

Office Policies:

 

 

Introduction:

The following guidelines are meant to help with the smooth day to day running and efficiency to deal with your health care needs.

 

Scope of Practice:

Our office is not designed to be an acute care clinic or a crises center.

Primarily our office practice is for medication management and related therapies.

The doctors are not case managers and do not undertake behavior management.

 

Office Visits:

Office visits generally include review of patient files and documents; interview with the patient and collateral sources as necessary, observation and evaluation of the patient and treatment planning as well as appropriate documentation.

Initial evaluation usually last approx fifty minutes. However depending on the complexity of the case the evaluation if the evaluation is incomplete you may be asked to return the next available appointment slot.

Medication follow-up visits are termed medication management sessions; they usually last approximately up to fifteen minutes.

 

Financial Responsibility:

It is primarily the responsibility of the patient/guardian to be responsible of their financial responsibilities. Our office staff will work with you to bill insurance companies if applicable.

 

Missed Appointments:

You are responsible for being on time for your appointments. If you do not show up for an appointment scheduled by you then you will be billed a no show charge.

 

Late Cancellations:

Please call at least 48 business hours prior to a planned cancellation. Failure to do so may result in a late cancellation charge.

 

Emergency Cancellations:

In cases of extreme emergencies you may call to cancel your appointment. In case of a true emergency you will not be billed.

 

Medication Refills:

It is the policy of this office that for routinely medications refills will not be called in.  In cases of extreme emergency a refill will be called in, for enough medications to last you until your next scheduled appointment.

No out of state medication refills will be called in.

 

Follow up appointments:

A follow up appointment should be made every two months. This is to ensure the highest quality of care and also to continually monitor medications in a scientific manner.

 

Laboratory Tests:

If indicated laboratory tests will be ordered. These can be essential for the continued prescription of certain medications.

Most insurance companies require that lab test orders be validated by your PMD; and or be conducted at designated labs.

A logical approach in choosing your lab is to look for a lab which is reputable and logistically near your home.

 

Collateral Contacts:

Routine and reasonable collateral contacts necessary for treatment coordination, consent and planning need to be made as part of the treatment process. For this reason you will be asked to sign consents for release of information.

 

Confidentiality:

All interactions between the patient and doctor are confidential. However the confidentiality has to be broken by law if there is valid /justifiable clinical reason to suspect that there exists a danger to the patient or others. Appropriate authorities may be then be informed.

If ordered by court confidentiality can be breached.

Most insurance companies have a clause whereby they have access to you records.

 

Documentation:

Your chart notes will be kept up to date. These notes are kept only to be used for clinical purposes. No other use of these notes will be allowed or encouraged.

Owner ship of original documents will remain with the clinic.

You have the right to review your documents. If you want to review your documents then you will be asked to make an appointment and review them in the presence of the doctor.

If you disagree with any opinion written in the documents you may ask that an addendum be added noting your disagreement with the original documentation, however legally it can not be erased or destroyed.

Each case file will be kept in the office for one year after it has been closed. It will then be maintained for a total of seven (the other six years in an off site storage).

 

Copies of Chart Notes and Medical Records:

You may request that copies of your chart notes and medical records be sent to your current medical provider for continuity of care. This service will be provided to you free of cost.

If you want copies of the notes records sent to any one other than your current provider, a clerical fee of $50, plus .25c per page photocopied will be charged.

 

Reports and Letters:

If requested by you a letter indicating that you are in treatment, including your diagnosis and medications will be provided to you.

If you require a detailed letter or report; please discuss this with your doctor prior to such request, such requests are generally not in the realm of therapy and as such you will be responsible for the cost of such letters.

 

Emergency Coverage:

In case the doctor is out of town or away for vacation or out sick; emergencies will be handled by the other doctor Mustafa in the office.

 

Life Threatening Emergencies:

In case of life threatening emergencies, please call 911 and /or go to the nearest emergency room.

 

Psychiatric Emergencies:

In case of psychiatric emergencies; you will be referred to your nearest emergency.

 

Termination/Discharge:

The patient-Doctor relationship may be terminated at any time by the patient or the doctor. The doctor would be inclined to end the patient doctor relationship in case of the following circumstances; if there is no therapeutic benefit in the patient-doctor relationship; if there is a conflict of interest: if there is consistent non-compliance with treatment plan or treatment recommendation.

 

Substance Use/Abuse:

It is the policy of this office that we strongly recommend against the use of any and all non-prescribed substances.