title: Outpatient Psychiatric Documentation Use by Primary Care Physicians Following De-Sensitization in the Electronic Medical Record.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The authors assessed the ways in which primary care physicians (PCPs) utilize outpatient psychiatric documentation that has recently become accessible to non-psychiatric providers in the UC Davis Healthcare System electronic medical record (EMR).
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors distributed a nine-question paper survey to 71 PCPs on the UC Davis Medical Center Campus in Sacramento, California. Questions addressed awareness of changes in accessibility of psychiatric documentation, which parts of the psychiatric note were most useful, and ways in which reviewing psychiatric notes changed providers' practice and perception of patients with mental illness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survey return rate was 100 % due to in-person distribution and collection of survey. More than half (58 %) of respondents were unaware that they had access to psychiatric notes. Within the psychiatric note, providers focused most on plan, diagnosis, and assessment components. Those who were aware reported improved understanding (97 %) and comfort with discussing mental illness (79 %), increased consideration of side effects of psychiatric medications (79 %), and improved efficiency in encounters with psychiatric patients (97 %). Responses about likelihood to contact psychiatrists directly varied considerably. About 45 % of respondents were more likely to consider psychosomatic etiology for patients who were also seen by outpatient psychiatry.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, PCPs reported that accessibility of outpatient psychiatric notes significantly enhanced their experience of caring for patients with mental illness. Future goals include increasing awareness and education about availability of psychiatric notes as well as optimizing communication between psychiatrists and PCPs. The authors recommend future studies focused on changes in perceptions among providers as a result of continued use of psychiatric documentation.
authors: University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA. emilie.bhe@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.
authors: Emilie
authors: E
authors: Bhe
authors: University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Summers
authors: University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Pakyurek
authors: University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Soulier
authors: University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Ferranti
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004282:Documentation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Attitude of health personnel; Confidentiality; Electronic health records; Psychiatry; Psychotherapy