Collaborative care for alcohol-related liver disease.
By implementing collaborative care for patients with alcohol misuse and alcohol-related liver disease, the Royal Bolton Hospital aimed to improve and coordinate their care by recruiting a multidisciplinary team and placing the patient at the centre of all efforts. There has been a marked improvement in the accuracy of the drinking histories taken, detoxification, dietary documentation, and patient and staff attitudes and confidence, with enhanced satisfaction in patients, their families and staff and improved accessibility and communication. We observed a considerable increase in the number of inpatient and outpatient referrals and believe that it is more effective to work together in a joint gastroenterology/psychiatry team. There is a critical national need to establish steering groups of key clinical, managerial and commissioning personnel to address the growing problem of alcohol misuse. The appointment of dedicated alcohol health workers is central to this strategy.
Moriarty
Kieran J
KJ
Royal Bolton Hospital, Bolton. kieran.moriarty@rbh.nhs.uk
Platt
Helen
H
Crompton
Sandra
S
Darling
Wendy
W
Blakemore
Martin
M
Hutchinson
Sue
S
Proctor
David
D
Brown
Malcolm
M
Burtun
Burt
B
Lipscomb
George
G
Padmakumar
Kadukkavil
K
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006694:Holistic Health; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology