The patient survivor in complex medical and psychiatric situations face overwhelming problems which are made worse and more insidious by the fragmentation and the multiplicity of doctor reports, lab reports, multiple complex diagnosis, conditions, injuries, reactions competing opinions, competing wrong and correct opinions and diagnosis as well as the onset within array of complicated problems in the family, community, and society as well. The survivor meets with, and is assessed, evaluated, probed and prodded in a dizzying fashion. More over, a wide variety of medical professionals, clinical clinicians and lay people and the judiciary, review the medical chart. Often after getting an incomplete set of records.
The DSM IV Multi-Axial Evaluation format presents a unique tool for the social worker/case manager to bring together the complex multiple conditions, diagnoses, injuries, reactions as well as development of specific phychosocial and environmental problems.
Using this tool in a new way can bring together diverse opinions, diagnoses and recommendations in a concise, yet, comprehensive manner.
This presentation proposes one way to deal with the current fragmentation of multiple and disparate assessments, evaluations, reports, diagnoses, Global Assessment of Functioning numbers (GAF) and recommendations, using a consolidation format in a DSM IV Multi-Axial Evaluation, so that, professionals, lay people, legal and court personnel, government and social welfare agency, family members and individuals can get a better understanding of the complexities in these most difficult cases.
By understanding a new and expanded format use of the DSM IV Multi-Axial Evaluation, this kind of documentation will, hopefully, lead to better understanding of complex cases and, thus, improve care plan development, intervention implementation and service delivery in these most complex and demanding cases and situations.
Learning Objectives
- Understand and grasp the insidiousness of the multiple and fragmented assessments, diagnoses, evaluations and recommendations.
- Understand the role of the social worker/case manager in developing comprehensive differential diagnoses.
- Gain an elementary understanding of the DSM IV Multiaxial Evaluation in a new and expanded format.
- Understand the importance of Global Assessment Functioning (GAF) numbers in the Multiple-axial approach.