[Is it possible to improve psychiatric care through the referral process?].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the quality of referral from Primary Care to Mental Health and its relationship to the illness referred.


METHODS
A descriptive retrospective study over 4 years on the quality of the process.


METHODS
Mental Health Centre II in the Autonomous Community of Murcia.


METHODS
209 patients referred by three Primary Care teams.


RESULTS
91.4% of patients (C.I. 95%: 100%, 81.1%) were accepted with a referral report. 97.9% (C.I. 95%: 100%, 87.8%) presented a reason for psychiatric consultation. The report included the clinical history of the illness in 58.1% of cases (C.I. 95%: 70.3%, 45.9%); a diagnostic opinion was given in 79.6% (C.I. 95%: 91.1%, 68%); and 37.2% (C.I. 95%: 49.3%, 25%) were referred with a request for a specific consultation. 68.4% of the referrals (C.I. 95%: 81.8%, 54.9%) coincided with the Mental Health diagnosis. It was observed that among the most commonly referred pathologies: anxiety disorders (31.6%), affective (28.8%), personality (7.7%), psychotic (5.3%), and adaptive disorders (5.3%); diagnoses were commonly made for affective or anxiety disorders (p < 0.0001); the specific cause of referral of anxiety disorders was recorded (p < 0.01); and in cases of psychotic and personality disorders, the diagnoses did not coincide (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Referral to Mental Health can be improved, fundamentally by sending a report which includes the clinical history and the reason for referral. It is common to express a diagnostic opinion on affective and anxiety disorders, to note a specific reason for referral in the case of anxiety disorders and not to specify personality and psychotic disorders.
Ruiz
F J
FJ
Centro de Salud Molina de Segura, Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia.
Piqueras
V
V
Aznar
J A
JA
D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies
Es posible mejorar la asistencia psiquiátrica a través del proceso de derivación?