The timing of psychiatric consultation requests : Utilization, liaison, and diagnostic considerations

Psychiatric consultation timing results from the interaction of multiple systems. This study examines the key clinical and systems variables and the effect of consultation timing on subsequent length of hospital stay. One hundred and forty-five consecutive psychiatric consultations at a New York Cit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychosomatics (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 1997, Vol.38 (1), p.38-44
Main Authors: ORMONT, M. A, WEISMAN, H. W, HELLER, S. S, NAJARA, J. E, SHINDLEDECKER, R. D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biological and medical sciences
Female
Humans
Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data
Male
Medical sciences
Mental Disorders - diagnosis
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Mental Disorders - psychology
Mental health
Middle Aged
New York City - epidemiology
Organization of mental health. Health systems
Patient Care Team - utilization
Psychiatric Department, Hospital - utilization
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychophysiologic Disorders - diagnosis
Psychophysiologic Disorders - epidemiology
Psychophysiologic Disorders - psychology
Referral and Consultation - utilization
Schizophrenia - diagnosis
Schizophrenia - epidemiology
Schizophrenic Psychology
Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry
Somatoform Disorders - diagnosis
Somatoform Disorders - epidemiology
Somatoform Disorders - psychology
Time Factors
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Summary:Psychiatric consultation timing results from the interaction of multiple systems. This study examines the key clinical and systems variables and the effect of consultation timing on subsequent length of hospital stay. One hundred and forty-five consecutive psychiatric consultations at a New York City teaching hospital were assessed by demographic criteria, medical and psychiatric diagnoses, reasons for consultation, and the timing of the consultation with respect to the academic year. Twenty-five percent of the consultations occurred within the first 48 hours after admission and 32% occurred between Days 2 and 5. Consultations for schizophrenia patients were called earlier (P < 0.02) than those for patients with other diagnoses, and those for patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome were called later (P < 0.04). Earlier consultations were associated with a shorter time to discharge (P < 0.002).
ISSN:0033-3182
1545-7206
DOI:10.1016/S0033-3182(97)71502-0