Development of a Taiwanese computerized database for psychiatric consultation in a general hospital.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a modified questionnaire in psychiatric consultation and a new computerized software at one general hospital in Taiwan.


METHODS
The Micro-Cares Clinical Information System for Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry (CISCL), an English language-based patient management application, has multiple clinical variables that were translated into Mandarin Chinese. The Mandarin Chinese version of the Micro-Cares Questionnaire (MCMQ) was further modified after extensive testing and clinical use by two staff psychiatrists and eight senior resident doctors. In addition, the structure of the Mandarin Chinese version of the Micro-Cares CISCL Program (MCMP) was created for direct information entry through a specialized Microsoft Access-based support module.


RESULTS
The MCMQ has been adapted to regular medical practice. Up to 66% of the consultation cases (618/913 patients) were recorded in 2003. Among those registered, 519 (84%) received psychiatric diagnoses. Eight of the 10 participants evaluated agreed that the MCMQ was clinically applicable.


CONCLUSIONS
MCMQ and MCMP have been routinely applied in the clinical, administrative, research and educational services of our psychiatric consultation.
Chiu
Nien-Mu
NM
Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gang Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Niao-Sung Hsiang, kaohsiung County 833, Taiwan.
Strain
James J
JJ
Sun
Tzan-Fu
TF
Strain
Jay J
JJ
Lee
Yu
Y
Chong
Mian-Yoon
MY
Wen
Jung-Kwang
JK
D000368:Aged; D019992:Databases as Topic; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012984:Software; D013624:Taiwan