[Feasibility of consultation - liaison psychiatry in a large general hospital: quantitative description of services and personnel expenditure].
BACKGROUND
The integration of psychiatric departments in general hospitals lead to an increasing demand of psychiatric consultation, which often overstrains personnel resources of short staffed psychiatric services. To provide consulting service, as it is demanded by guidelines, a multidisciplinary consulting team could be a possible solution.


METHODS
A retrospective descriptive analysis of all consultations made by the psychosocial consultation and liaison service at the general hospital Wels-Grieskirchen in the years 2012 and 2013.


RESULTS
There was an increase in referrals overall of 22 % from 2012 to 2013. The largest increase was observed in the group of psychiatrists, who carried out 33.1 % of all consultations. Most consultations, 39.5 %, were done by the group of clinical psychologists, partly substituting medical attendance. Taking together both occupational groups, the expected number of consultations of at least 3 % of all admissions could be achieved.


CONCLUSIONS
A multidisciplinary consulting team consisting of psychiatrists, psychologists, psychosomatic physicians and social workers staffed with 5.11-6.79 full-time personnel is able to provide psychosocial consultation service at a quantitative level required by international guidelines.
Abteilung für Psychiatrie und psychotherapeutische Medizin, klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie, Klinikum Wels-Grieskirchen GmbH, Grieskirchner Str. 42, 4600, Wels, Österreich, elmar.windhager@klinikum-wegr.at.
Elmar
E
Windhager
Katharina
K
Thaler
Wilia Vasiliki
WV
Selberis-Vahl
Petra
P
Friedl-Wörgetter
Isabella
I
Windhager
Katharina
K
Zauner
D001317:Austria; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000191:economics; D006295:Health Resources / Q000191:economics; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000191:economics*; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics* / Q000628:therapy; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000191:economics*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000191:economics*; D011586:Psychology, Clinical / Q000191:economics; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000191:economics*; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000191:economics*