title: [Treatment of schizophrenic patients in primary care before hospital admission].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aimed at investigation outpatient treatment of schizophrenic patients referred to a psychiatric hospital by general practitioners (GP) in comparison to psychiatrists in private practice (PP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of the German psychiatric basic documentation system (BADO) of all schizophrenic inpatients admitted to a psychiatric hospital in 2003 were analysed (n = 578).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Schizophrenic patients of GP and PP differed not regarding any sociodemographic or disease-related variable. Also concerning psychopharmacological pre-treatment, no significant differences between schizophrenics of GP and PP could be revealed. 84.1% of GP-patients and 90.6% of PP-patients had a psychopharmacological pretreatment. 81.2% of GP-patients with antipsychotics (PP: 77.7%). Conventional antipsychotics were prescribed to 49.3% of GP-patients (PP 50.9%), atypicals to 44.9% (PP: 39.6%). Antidepressants were given to 18.8% of GP-patients and 22.6% of PP-patients, tranquilizers to 4.3% of GP-patients and 9.4% of PP-patients, mood stabilizers to 18.8% of GP-patients and 17.0% of PP-patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GP and PP treat the same population of schizophrenic patients, psychopharmacotherapy delivered by GP and PP differed only slightly (by number). Treatment of schizophrenics could be improved with respect to current treatment guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie der Universität am Bezirksklinikum, Regensburg. hermann.spiessl@medbo.de
authors.forename: Hermann
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Von Spiessl
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hübner-Liebermann
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cording
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hajak
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009462:Neurology; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011570:Psychiatry; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents