ASSESSMENT REPORT EXAMPLE
SAMPLE TREATMENT DISCHARGE SUMMARY FROM
PROFESSIONAL RENEWAL CENTER (PRC), KANSAS
This treatment discharge summary is a sample work product of the Professional
Renewal Center. All identifying information has either been omitted or disguised
for purposes of confidentiality.
March 14, 2003
William Reynolds, MD
United States Physicians Health Program
123 Sunset Way, Suite 100
Anytown, USA 45678
RE: Ian Frank, MD
Dear Dr. Reynolds:
I am writing in regard to Ian Frank, MD, a 29-year-old third year surgical resident who
recently completed a multidisciplinary assessment and treatment process at the
Professional Renewal Center (PRC) in Lawrence, Kansas. Dr. Frank came to PRC for a
multidisciplinary assessment on January 27, 2003, and then transitioned into our
intensive day treatment program for professionals on February 3, 2003. He was
discharged on March 14, 2003.
The members of Dr. Frank’s assessment and treatment team included Bruce Parsa, DO,
board certified psychiatrist; Loree Cordova, MD; family medicine physician; Scott C.
Stacy, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist; Mary Yanics, PhD, licensed clinical
psychologist; George Athey, PhD, consulting psychologist; Sue Porter, MSW, LSCSW,
licensed specialist clinical social worker; Jeffery Lewis, LSCSW, BCIAC, licensed
specialist clinical social worker; Scott Campbell, CARN, RN, BC, certified psychiatric
and addictions nurse; and Peter Graham, PhD, director of the team and consulting
psychologist. The members of Dr. Frank’s assessment team formulated diagnostic
conclusions and recommendations for his care through a process leading to consensus.
Waiver of Confidentiality
Dr. Frank has provided us with written authorization that permits us to disclose to you the
results of his treatment. This summary was prepared with Dr. Frank’s full knowledge
and informed consent and integrates information gathered over the course of his
treatment. This information includes: 1) clinical interviews; 2) results of psychological
testing; 3) disclosures made by the patient during interviews and on self-evaluation
questionnaires and written assignments; and 4) information obtained from collateral
sources including other professional evaluations. Dr. Frank was informed of the
treatment team's duty to report certain information, if obtained, in accordance with state
and national laws.
Further disclosure of this report and any other medical information is not permitted under
the terms of this authorization without Dr. Frank’s expressed written consent.
Caution in the Use of this Report
The conclusions of this treatment process were derived from the information provided by
the patient and collateral sources. We have not attempted to ensure the accuracy of all
collateral information obtained or provided. Dr. Frank was given the opportunity to
provide any collateral information felt to be relevant and helpful in order for our team to
conduct an objective assessment. Concerned parties, and in particular the referring
party, were provided with the same opportunity.
The diagnostic conclusions, opinions and recommendations contained herein are based
upon this data, and are stated with a reasonable degree of medical certainty unless
otherwise indicated. Additional information not disclosed to us by Dr. Frank or provided
by collateral sources could alter the findings outlined in this report. The team reserves
the right to amend its opinions and conclusions in such situations. Natural limitations in
the treatment process and our state of knowledge are acknowledged. Therefore, we
cannot fully and accurately predict Dr. Frank’s future behaviors or actions.
Collateral Information Reviewed:
1. Referral information provided via telephone from William Reynolds, MD, of the
United States Physicians Health Program
2. Detailed timeline of events during internship and residency, summary description
of employment situation, and personal inventory of problems written by Ian
Frank, MD
3. Adverse Action Recommendation letter dated November 13, 2002, from Dr.
O’Reilly, Director, Surgery Residency Training Program, Dr. Lester, Interim
Chair, and Dr. Rosenblitt, Director, Graduate Medical Education, of the State
University Department of Medicine to Dr. Frank
4. Cover letter dated November 18, 2002, from Dr. Rosenblitt to Dr. Frank
5. Letter dated November 26, 2002, from Robert Stone, MD, Dr. Frank’s personal
psychotherapist, to Dr. O’Reilly
6. Dismissal letter dated December 2, 2002, from Dr. O’Reilly to Dr. Frank
7. Letter of reference in support of Dr. Frank, undated, from Michael Johnstone,
MD, presumably sent to Dr. O’Reilly
8. Letter of reference in support of Dr. Frank, dated December 18, 2002, from Emily
Campbell, MD, presumably sent to Dr. O’Reilly
9. Letter of reference in support of Dr. Frank, dated December 18, 2002, from thirty
members of the State University Medical Center Surgery Residency class to the
Hearing Panel of the Office of Graduate Medical Education, State University
Medical Center
10. Letter outlining the decisions and recommendations of the Hearing Panel of the
Office of Graduate Medical Education, State University Medical Center, dated
December 20, 2002, from the members of the Hearing Panel to Dr. Frank
11. Letter requesting a meeting with Dr. Frank, dated December 23, 2002, from Dr.
O’Reilly to Dr. Frank
12. Routine Corrective Action Plan for Ian Frank, MD, dated January 8, 2003, as
signed by Margaret O’Reilly, Director, Surgery Residency Training Program,
Harvey Lester, MD, Interim Chair, and Ian Frank, MD
1. Letter dated January 23, 2003, from Dr. Frank to Dr. O’Reilly and Dr. Lester
13. Phone and face-to-face interviews with Dr. Frank’s wife
14. Phone interview with Dr. Frank’s mother
15. Phone interview with Dr. Robert Stone
Summary of Treatment:
Over the course of seven weeks, Dr. Frank participated in various forms of assessment
and treatment to explore and resolve his difficulty with disruptive behavior and
unprofessional conduct with colleagues and peers and aggressive, intimidating behavior
toward his wife. These difficulties were addressed within the context of various modes
of treatment including:
1) Twice weekly individual treatment coordination and psychotherapy meetings
with this writer
2) Psychopharmacological evaluation and medication monitoring under the care
of Dr. Parsa
3) Biofeedback and Alpha-theta neurofeedback treatment with psychological
processing conducted by Mr. Lewis
4) Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, expressivesupportive
psychodynamic psychotherapy and couples therapy with Ms.
Porter
5) Daily Group psychotherapy
6) Daily Professional Ecology group
7) Daily Roles and Relationships group
8) Daily Studies in Transformation recovery group
9) Daily Integration and Wrap-Up group
10) Individual discharge and relapse prevention planning with Mr. Campbell
The assessment team recommended that Dr. Frank enter into an intensive treatment
program for professionals to address the issues of his disruptive, devaluing behavior and
the underlying anxiety and depression with which this behavior was understood to be an
attempt to cope. The team believed that it would be crucial for him to immerse himself in
a treatment program, rather than try to address the clinical issues identified in his
assessment in a weekly outpatient psychotherapy process. Such an outpatient treatment,
while supportive and focused on the pertinent issues, simply had not proven to be
sufficiently intensive or to have the required degree of behavioral leverage to successfully
alter his complex pattern of emotional vulnerability and compensatory defensiveness.
Two central components that were recommended to be incorporated in his treatment
included: 1) helping him to address the underlying psychological issues that fueled his
disruptive misconduct; and 2) examining those vulnerabilities in himself that led him to
compromise his better judgment. The team recommended a multi-modal treatment
process that incorporated: 1) an educational component covering professional boundaries
and ethics that emphasizes the definition and behavioral limits of the role of physician; 2)
victim empathy exercises; 3) cognitive-behavioral interventions aimed at disentangling
faulty lines of logic that predispose him to compromised judgment; 4) Eye Movement
Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Alpha-Theta Neurofeedback training to
assist him in developing a greater degree of control over the process of regulating his
emotional states of mind and a higher threshold of stress-tolerance; 5) expressivesupportive
psychodynamic psychotherapy aimed at helping him to begin to address those
underlying developmental issues that hinder him from forming meaningful, supportive,
and healthy collegial and intimate relationships; and 6) the consideration of possible
psychopharmacological interventions to assist in mood and affect regulation.
Dr. Frank was seen for individual psychotherapy for a total of 13 individual hours and for
one hour of therapy with his wife and two hours of conference calls with his wife. Dr.
Frank was initially referred for individual therapy with the thought that there might be
some benefit from using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to
strengthen internal resources that could be utilized when he becomes flooded with intense
negative feelings. During the course of his assessment he spoke of his shame and guilt
about the level of anger that he had experienced in his relationship with his wife. His
realization that he was nearing a point of possibly losing control in his interactions with
his wife was a key element in his motivation for committing himself to the treatment
process.
Dr. Frank had a difficult time with the EMDR. He reported that he had a lot of anxiety
about “doing it right”. Guided imagery was used to reduce this anxiety. In processing
what the anxiety was about, he was able to say that he had a difficult time allowing
himself to trust that EMDR could be helpful for him. This brought up the fact that it is
hard for him to accept and ask for help in general. He believed that if he needed to
correct something that was wrong with him he did not need to use any means that would
“make things easier.” He believed that he had to do it himself. To ask for or to accept
help meant to him that he was “weak, dependent, and vulnerable;” a view of himself that
he came to understand as being central to his shift into a more belligerent attitude. In the
past he had rejected taking an antidepressant medication for this very reason. In
examining the issue with him, it seemed more productive to work on his “internal critic”
and his masochism than to push him into an EMDR process that he was not finding
useful.
During the psychotherapy process, Dr. Frank was able to become more aware of how
growing up in an angry, critical family environment had played a role in his anxiety and
anger management problems. He learned that he had internalized a very strong “critic”
that expected nothing less than perfection from him. In order to “cover up” those aspects
of himself that he considered less than perfect, he became overly critical and judgmental
of others. He was exquisitely sensitive to anything that he perceived as critical from
peers and staff. He worked very hard on developing an awareness of when “the critic”
was being activated and then creating ways to “turn down the volume” or turn the critic
off altogether. He learned that when the critic is activated he is more vulnerable to
reacting to real or imagined rejection from his wife or criticism from colleagues. He
began to realize that being aware of what makes him vulnerable to acting out is central to
reducing the potential for violence in his marriage and anger management problems in
the workplace.
Dr. Frank moved from the position of blaming his parents for causing his problems to
starting to take more responsibility for his actions. During most of his treatment, he took
a “vacation” from talking with his parents on the phone in an attempt to begin to practice
having more emotional distance from them. He e-mailed them weekly to maintain
contact. He did this because conversations with his mother were so triggering and
distracting for him that he would spend large amounts of time obsessing about what had
been said. During the last two weeks of treatment he re-established phone contact and
handled what he perceived to be his mother’s attempts to make him feel guilty in a calm,
quiet manner without the usual anger and frustration he had experienced in the past. He
stated that he was well aware that there would be many times when he would be drawn
back into old behaviors but he felt that he now had some hope that things could change.
Dr. Frank will need to continue working on being aware of the functioning of his
“internal critic” in the service of learning ways to be less masochistic in his efforts to
appease the associated feelings of responsibility and guilt that he consistently feels. He
tends to feel that he must become over-confident about what he has learned and then feels
guilty, angry and disappointed when things go wrong. He is more aware of just how
ingrained his perfectionism is, how he “beats himself up” when he falls short of perfect,
and how pursuing perfection is a compensation that, in many ways, may be less than
necessary at this point in his life.
During the course of Dr. Frank’s treatment, the team continued to evaluate his diagnostic
picture. Over the course of six weeks of treatment and observation, the team concluded
within a reasonable degree of certainty that Dr. Frank does not suffer from either an
intermittent explosive disorder or a bipolar condition. While he remained vulnerable to
strong emotional reactions of anger, as well as guilt and shame, the team did not believe
that explosiveness was a chronic and persistent feature of his behavior. It was also the
team’s opinion that the aggressiveness that he had shown in the past could be better
accounted for as being a feature of his other diagnoses. The team also agreed that he did
not show sufficient evidence either in his history or in his current behavior for a
diagnosable manic aspect to his mood disorder. To the degree that he manifests
irritability, expansiveness, or inflated self-esteem, the team believes that these are better
accounted for as features of his depression, anxiety disorder, and the related
compensatory features of his personality. Dr. Parsa addressed his anxiety and depression
with medication. The possible addition of a mood stabilizer was considered with the
patient, but it was agreed that he would continue with the current trial of Paxil and that a
mood stabilizer would remain an option available to him in the future if he were to
experience any significant increase in his difficulties in regulating the intensity and
fluctuations of his mood and affects.
Dr. Frank actively participated in the Psychophysiological Self-Regulation Program. He
completed hand temperature training and the Alpha-Theta brainwave training. He found
this process helpful in facilitating his ability to reflect on potential stressors without
becoming reactive. Various visualizations were incorporated in the Alpha-Theta
brainwave training process. The themes embedded in his visualizations were employed
to support him in addressing and resolving issues associated with anger, intense feelings
of vulnerability, childhood conflict, resentment, isolation, and avoidance.
Dr. Frank progressed rapidly through the hand temperature training. He was able to
increase his hand temperature to 95.4 degrees with autogenic training and diaphragmatic
breathing skills leading to a greater capacity to decrease his autonomic arousal and better
manage his reaction to potential stressors in his environment. He also demonstrated the
ability to observe and recall imagery without censoring the information. He was
intrigued by how much of his own internal dialogue he was unaware of before starting his
psychophysiological self-regulation training. The main theme in his initial imagery
centered on thoughts and feelings of vulnerability and anger. The recall of imagery
around these issues supported him in discussing the origins of these feelings. This led to
an increased capacity to become more comfortable with owning feelings of anger and
vulnerability as well as a greater capacity to share these feelings with others in a
reflective rather then reactive and hostile manner. His awareness of how he carried
psychological stress in physical form in his body increased dramatically. He
demonstrated the ability to integrate this new information into skills improving his ability
to be more aware of his autonomic arousal when confronted with potentially stressful
situations. He experienced an increase in his capacity to understand how his own critical
and judging nature negatively impacted his ability to communicate with others. He was
able to create and modify visualizations that helped him transform these negative views
of himself. This helped him develop a greater capacity to communicate with his peers in
a reflective and nonjudgmental manner. The main theme of his imagery in the last phase
of his training centered around ideas of self-acceptance and integration of all aspects of
his being. His awareness and processing of these images with the group resulted in his
ability to adopt a more appropriately assertive style of communication. He stated at the
end of his training he felt an increased confidence in his ability to communicate his true
thoughts and feelings with others in a reflective and assertive manner. He developed
various skills and techniques that he will continue to use to maintain the gains made in
his training. Dr. Frank successfully completed the Psychophysiological Self-Regulation
Alpha-Theta brainwave training process on March 3, 2003.
Dr. Frank’s involvement in the group aspects of the treatment process was active and
earnest. He developed constructive and mutually beneficial relationships with his peers.
He appropriately encouraged and confronted them and was admirably open to their
constructive feedback to him. He developed a much greater awareness of the impact of
his own personal life and internal emotional states on his performance and relationships
in the work setting. He learned about the internal and environmental factors that
contribute to his ambient stress level and ways in which he can more proactively regulate
the level of stress under which he will work. He gained a much clearer appreciation of
the role that he plays in the hospital setting as a physician, the responsibilities inherent in
that role and the importance of being aware of his self-presentation and of knowing how
he fits into a functioning unit or team that requires careful attention from him in order to
function optimally. He also learned how to differentiate between various types of
relationships, both professional and private, how to set appropriate boundaries with
others and with himself, and the importance of remaining clear about motivations and the
need to keep the task at hand well defined, whether he is involved in learning, teaching,
treating, or relating to his wife or family.
In the treatment coordination relationship, Dr. Frank developed a detailed appreciation of
the ways in which his efforts to avoid painful feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness
were instrumental in his taking on the aggressive and belligerent stance that had become
so problematic for him. His careful engagement in the process of writing a detailed
description of the events surrounding his episodes of disruptive behavior at work gave
him an empathic perspective of his wife’s and his colleagues’ experience of his anger that
he had not had previously. He became much more aware of the function of self-esteem
regulation in his angry behavior. He came to understand the myriad painful emotions
that he had covered over with anger and haughtiness. This allowed him to gain a better
understanding of his need for ongoing support and mentoring from his teachers and
colleagues as opposed to increasingly isolating himself in a defensive, superior stance.
He created a list of the disruptive and coercive behaviors from which he will need to
abstain on a permanent basis. He also was able to develop a concrete definition of the
situations in which he is most at risk for relapse and created a list of specific behaviors in
which he will be able to engage to minimize the likelihood that he will relapse. He also
completed his individual work by creating a plan for what he will do if he or others
believe that he has relapsed.
Dr. Frank successfully completed his primary treatment process with PRC and returns
home with a very clear understanding of what he will need to continue working on in his
treatment and monitoring relationships, in his marriage, and in his relationships in the
residency training program. He has a much better awareness of the factors that have
contributed and will continue to contribute to his vulnerability to act disruptively. The
treatment team believes, however, that with continued support, treatment and active
commitment on his part, he will be able to successfully complete his residency training
and become an extremely effective and collaborative surgeon.
Physical Evaluation/Laboratory Studies:
Dr. Frank had a physical examination during his assessment week at the Professional
Renewal Center. No additional physical examination was indicated or performed during
his treatment process.
Over the course of Dr. Frank’s treatment process, he received random seven-panel urine
drug toxicology screening (following chain of custody protocol) for substances of abuse
and random breathalyzer testing for alcohol. Drs. Cordova and Parsa reviewed these
laboratory results and communicated their findings to this writer. All urine drug screens
and breathalyzer tests were negative.
Medications at Discharge:
1. Zyrtec 10 mg po q day
2. Paxil CR 25 mg po q day
3. Advil prn knee pain
Diagnoses:
The treatment team has agreed upon the following diagnoses for Dr. Frank based upon
DSM-IV-TR criteria and psychological test data:
Axis I: 296.35 Major Depressive Disorder, Recurrent, In Partial Remission
300.00 Anxiety Disorder, NOS with posttraumatic features
(exaggerated startle response, hypervigilance, irritability
and outbursts of anger, efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings
and activities related to traumatic memories, physiological
reactivity on exposure to internal and external cues that
symbolize or resemble an aspect of the traumatic situation)
V62.2 Occupational Problem (disruptive behavior)
Axis II: Narcissistic and Obsessive-Compulsive features
Axis III: S/P wisdom teeth extraction and aseptic meningitis (both age 19),
history of wrist and knee injuries, carrier of hemachromatosis
Axis IV: Suspension and threatened expulsion from medical residency
Axis V: Current GAF 80; Highest GAF Past Year estimated at 80
Conclusions and Recommendations:
The treatment team provides the following conclusions and recommendations:
1. With a reasonable degree of psychological certainty, the treatment team finds
Dr. Frank fit to return to the practice of medicine with skill and safety provided
he follows the recommendations outlined below.
2. Dr. Frank will remain in compliance with State University Medical Center
bylaws and any rules and/or regulations of the center at all times. He will also
remain in compliance with the conditions of the corrective action plan dated
January 8, 2003, and signed by Dr. Frank on January 13, 2003.
3. Dr. Frank will interact with hospital employees, physician colleagues or other
healthcare providers in an appropriate and courteous fashion. He will refrain
from aggressive and disruptive behavior and from raising his voice during a
disagreement or using profanity in these contexts. He will also refrain from
making derogatory or devaluing remarks about colleagues.
4. The Program Director of the Surgery Residency Training Program and Dr.
Frank will agree upon an appropriate physician mentor from the program
faculty. This individual will be available to Dr. Frank and to administrative staff
to discuss any concerns regarding Dr. Frank’s behavior. Additionally, this
individual will be available to Dr. Frank to serve as an appropriate individual to
whom Dr. Frank might address any concerns that he has regarding
administrative functions within the hospital, issues with staff, disagreements on
clinical matters, etc.
5. Dr. Frank will maintain contact with his faculty mentor in person at least once
weekly for the remainder of his involvement in the residency program.
6. Dr. Frank will refrain from expressing excessive concern regarding the
functioning of the hospital or the performance of another clinician within the
worksite. He will take his concerns about difficulty within the workplace or
about the performance of another clinician to his designated faculty mentor.
7. Dr. Frank agrees to respond in an appropriate and courteous manner to nursing
staff’s questions or contact through the paging system. He agrees to interact
and collaborate in an appropriate and courteous manner with faculty,
colleagues, fellow residents and trainees, and other clinicians.
8. In the event of a suspected or actual behavioral incident, the following will take
place:
a. Dr. Frank and his mentor will be notified of the event/incident
b. Dr. Frank will discuss the issue with his faculty mentor
c. The event will be reviewed by the Executive Graduate Medical
Education Committee, including Dr. Frank’s faculty mentor
d. Upon review, if the Executive committee, including his mentor,
considers Dr. Frank’s behavior to be disruptive, he will be
immediately dismissed from the residency program
9. Dr. Frank will make voluntary contact with Dr. Graham of the Professional
Renewal Center. This contact will be verbal contact weekly for one month,
biweekly for one month, followed by once monthly for six months.
10. Dr. Frank will make voluntary contact with the United States Physicians Health
Program at a frequency agreed upon with Dr. William Reynolds of the USPHP.
11. Dr. Frank will engage in at least weekly psychotherapy with Dr. Robert Stone
for the remainder of his time in the residency program
12. Dr. Frank will follow through with recommendations made by the Professional
Renewal Center and the United States Physicians Health Program.
13. Dr. Frank will return to the Professional Renewal Center in approximately six
months from the signed date of this contract for one week of follow-up
assessment.
14. If Dr. Frank is unable to comply with this contractual arrangement, it is agreed
that he will be referred for ongoing assessment at a program recommended by
the United States Physicians Health Program.
The treatment team at the Professional Renewal Center has appreciated the opportunity to
work with Dr. Frank. If we can be of additional help to you in any way, whether
providing you with additional information or consultation, please feel free to contact us at
your convenience.