Consultation-Liaison psychiatric service delivery: results from a European study.
The reported findings of the European Consultation-Liaison Workgroup (ECLW) Collaborative Study describe consultation-liaison service delivery by 56 services from 11 European countries aggregated on a C-L service level. During the period of 1 year (1991), the participants applied a standardized, reliability tested method of patient data collection, and data were collected describing pertinent characteristics of the hospital, the C-L service, and the participating consultants. The consultation rate of 1% (median; 1.4% mean) underscores the discrepancy between epidemiology and the services delivered. The core function of C-L services in general hospitals is a quick, comprehensive emergency psychiatric function. Reasons to see patients were the following. deliberate self-harm (17%), substance abuse (7.2%), current psychiatric symptoms (38.6%), and unexplained physical complaints (18.6%) (all means). A significant number of patients are old and seriously ill. Mood disorders and organic mental disorders are most predominant (17.7%). Somatoform and dissociative disorders together constitute 7.5%. C-L services in European countries are mainly emergency psychiatric services and perform an important bridge function between primary, general health, and mental health care.
Huyse
F J
FJ
Head Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, Hospital of the Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. fj.huyse@azvu.nl
Herzog
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T
Lobo
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A
Malt
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UF
Opmeer
B C
BC
Stein
B
B
de Jonge
P
P
van Dijck
R
R
Creed
F
F
Crespo
M D
MD
Cardoso
G
G
Guimaraes-Lopes
R
R
Mayou
R
R
van Moffaert
M
M
Rigatelli
M
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Sakkas
P
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Tienari
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P
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015274:Interdepartmental Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D018579:Patient Selection; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*