Patterns of psychiatric consultation in an Austrian tertiary care center - results of a systematic analysis of 3,307 referrals over 2 years.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenology of a newly structured Austrian tertiary - care hospital consultation - liaison (C - L) psychiatry service.


METHODS
We compared two 1 - year surveys over two years of observation (2003 - 2005). Survey A (August 1, 2003, until July 31, 2004) comprised 1474 consecutive new consultations, and the more recent Survey B (August 1, 2004, until July 31, 2005) extended over 1833 consecutive new referrals to our C - L service. Psychiatric referrals were analyzed with regard to consultation rate, demographic characteristics, referring departments, principal reasons for referral, diagnostic characteristics, and intervention patterns.


RESULTS
The consultation rate increased by 0.61% from 2.69% in Survey A to 3.30% in Survey B. Internal medicine consistently accounted for almost 31% of all referrals in both surveys. In Survey A, the most common psychiatric diagnoses were adjustment disorders (21.4%), depressive disorders (18.5%), and delirium (18.1%). The most prevalent diagnoses in Survey B were adjustment disorders (24.5%), delirium (18.8%), and depressive disorders (14.3%). Pharmacotherapy was the most frequent action in both surveys and accounted for between 45% and 49% of all actions.


CONCLUSIONS
This study underscores the need for specially planned C - L services in Austria that provide both psychiatric and psychosocial care for patients who are medically ill.
Rothenhäusler
Hans-Bernd
HB
Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine of Graz, Graz, Austria. Hans-Bernd.Rothenhaeusler@klinikum-graz.at
Stepan
Alexandra
A
Kreiner
Barbara
B
Baranyi
Andreas
A
Kapfhammer
Hans-Peter
HP
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003693:Delirium / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*