title: Accuracy of referring psychiatric diagnosis on a consultation-liaison service.
abstract: The authors determined the accuracy of the initial psychiatric diagnosis of primary medical providers requesting psychiatric consultation in a general medical inpatient setting. A retrospective review of 346 consecutive psychiatric consultations was conducted in which the initial diagnostic impression of primary medical providers was compared with the final psychiatric diagnosis. Accuracy rates for cognitive disorders, substance use disorders, and depressive disorders were 100%, 88.9%, and 53.6%, respectively. Thus, initial diagnoses of a cognitive or substance use disorder by primary medical providers are likely to be accurate, whereas an initial diagnosis of a depressive disorder will be inaccurate in approximately half of the cases.
authors.affiliation: York Hospital, York, PA 17403, USA. diltsjs@aol.com
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Dilts
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Dilts
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010414:Pennsylvania; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology