title: Compliance with psychiatric referrals from a general hospital psychiatry outpatient clinic.
abstract: This study examines the referral patterns of 949 patients seen in a general hospital psychiatry outpatient clinic during a 15-month period. One hundred patients referred to outpatient psychotherapists were interviewed by telephone to determine compliance rates with referral recommendations. Forty-five percent reported compliance with the referral, defined as attendance at one or more psychiatric follow-up visits. Factors associated with higher compliance rates were being married, being referred at the initiation of the therapist and not the patient, and, for a subgroup of patients, receiving a list of potential psychotherapists. Neither diagnosis nor severity of illness predicted compliance, and self-referral was not associated with improved compliance. There was also no relationship found between satisfaction with the referral procedure and subsequent compliance with the referral. In 49% of the noncompliant cases, reasons cited were a self-perceived lack of need for continuing treatment due to symptom resolution and insufficient motivation.
authors.affiliation: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Krulee
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hales
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation