The practice of correctional medicine involves more than simply seeing patients in a jail or prison setting. Most incarcerated people have received very little medical care prior to incarceration; in fact, for many their first physical exam may actually be with a prison doctor. Consequently, prison and jail healthcare cases are often complex and well beyond the early stages of disease due to the multiple medical, dental, and mental health conditions that have not been properly addressed.
In addition, the jail or prison environment is not specifically created for the delivery of healthcare. Safety and security must always be top of mind, and physicians must work within the safety guidelines set by correctional staff while taking care of patients. Finally, an unwavering attention to public health concerns must always be present, given the congregate living quarters.
However, there is one aspect of patient care which should not be different in a jail or prison setting – and that is the quality of care incarcerated patients receive. Medical standard of care must still be met, regardless of the patient’s incarcerated status. David Medical Services’ correctional medicine expert witness physicians help clients gain a better understanding of the delivery of care to incarcerated patients through experienced prison and jail healthcare case reviews--by delivering unbiased opinions based on fact, accepted medical standards, and our decades of experience providing healthcare as prison doctors, and in various clinics serving the community.
