Disposition
The clinical decision made at the conclusion of a psychiatric evaluation regarding the appropriate next step in a patient's care, such as admission, discharge, or referral.
Full Definition
In mental health services documentation, 'disposition' refers specifically to the clinician's final determination—at the end of an emergency department evaluation, inpatient stay, or crisis assessment—about the patient's next care step. It is a structured component of evaluation reports and emergency psychiatric assessments, appearing as a named section (e.g., 'Disposition: Admit to inpatient unit'). Editors must recognise that in this context, 'disposition' does not carry its common-language meaning of 'temperament' or 'personality tendency.' The term is particularly common in emergency and forensic psychiatric documents. It should not be confused with 'prognosis,' which addresses expected clinical course, or 'diagnosis.'
Usage
Usage note: Context-specific: in psychiatric documents, 'disposition' = clinical care decision, not personality trait. Flag ambiguous uses for clarification.
In Context
- "Following the psychiatric evaluation, the disposition was voluntary inpatient admission pending bed availability." — Emergency Psychiatric Evaluation
- "The term 'disposition' in psychiatric assessment documents refers to the care decision, not to the patient's temperament—a distinction editors must flag when context is ambiguous." — Editorial Guidance Note