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Consultation‐liaison psychiatry: A comparison of two service models for geriatric patients
Author(s) -
Swanwick Gregory R. J.,
Lee Heidi,
Clare Anthony W.,
Lawlor Brian A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.930090609
Subject(s) - liaison psychiatry , referral , service (business) , geriatric psychiatry , medicine , psychiatry , geriatrics , general hospital , family medicine , economy , economics
In general hospitals the psychiatric morbidity in the old and frail is at least 40%. Two models for the provision of a psychiatric service to hospitalized geriatric patients were evaluated in order to identify which model most effectively fulfilled the aims of liaison psychiatry. At present, consultation type services predominate and there is some concern that an active liaison service could increase the referral rate of cases more appropriately dealt with by physicians. In this study an active liaison model was not associated with a marked increase in the referral rate, and when compared to a service with an emphasis on consultation, there was a higher degree of diagnostic accuracy by referring doctors in the liaison type model.