Psychiatric resident and attending diagnostic and prescribing practices.
OBJECTIVE
This study investigates whether two patient population groups, under resident or attending treatment, are equivalent or different in the distribution of patient characteristics, diagnoses, or pharmacotherapy.


METHODS
Demographic data, psychiatric diagnoses, and pharmacotherapy data were collected for 100 random patient charts of psychiatric residents, and were then compared with 100 random patient charts of attending psychiatrists.


RESULTS
Student's t test and chi square analysis suggested no statistically significant differences in the average number of comorbid Axis I diagnoses, percentages of patients with Axis II diagnoses, or major differences in the specific percentages of the 10 most common Axis I diagnoses. Furthermore, there were no statistically significant differences in the average number of psychiatric medications prescribed for pharmacological management of mental illness, or ratios of specific drug classes utilized.


CONCLUSIONS
There seems to be no major differences in patient characteristics or in the treatment techniques that were utilized.
Tripp
Adam C
AC
SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Schwartz
Thomas L
TL
D000328:Adult; D015897:Comorbidity; D003710:Demography; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000193:education*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013663:Teaching / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs