title: An audit of general practitioner involvement in public community mental health care.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Existing guidelines suggest that collaboration between general practitioners and mental health services may improve the physical health of people with serious mental illness. This study investigated the extent of general practitioner involvement in a community mental health centre and examined whether the presence of a documented general practitioner in the patient's medical records was associated with markers of better health outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of current patients were audited, including those receiving medical care and case management and those only receiving medical care. The demographic and diagnostic information, evidence of metabolic screening, blood test results, and medications of patients with a recorded general practitioner were compared with those of patients with no recorded general practitioner.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-eight of 191 (51%) of patients had details of a general practitioner documented in their medical records. There were no significant differences in rates of metabolic screening between the two groups. Those with a general practitioner had more medical diagnoses and were taking a greater number of psychiatric medications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the medical comorbidities of serious mental illness are becoming increasingly recognised, our findings suggest the need for ongoing and coordinated efforts by policymakers, general practitioners, mental health services and patients to ensure the health and longevity of people with serious mental illness.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jae
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, and; Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia Shuli.Futeran@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au.
authors.forename: Shuli
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Futeran
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, and; Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Large
authors.affiliation: School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, and; Eastern Suburbs Mental Health Service, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Curtis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: community psychiatry; general practitioner; metabolic syndrome; physical health