Article Text
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the liaison psychiatry service provided to neurological and neurosurgical patients by the Neuropsychiatry department in a quaternary National Health Service setting. We then sought to improve our liaison processes and to describe the referral characteristics in this population.
Method We retrospectively reviewed the electronic referral database for one calendar year. Patient characteristics were recorded from the electronic patient record. This data was used to map referral patterns and re-design our referral system. Follow up data was collected to assess these changes.
Results Two hundred and seventy-four patients were referred during the initial 12 month period, resulting in five hundred and four contacts. Most referrals were made by neurologists (78%); surgical referrers made up a very small number (2.5%) and tended to refer acute presentations. The most common diagnosis for non-acute referrals was depression (50%). Functional neurological disorders were the second largest diagnostic category (17%). Pre-operative epilepsy surgical evaluations accounted for 9% of non-acute referrals. Delirium and acute confusional state were the main finding in 35% of acute referrals but psychosis (29%) and agitation (23%) were also commonly represented.
Conclusion The neuropsychiatrists at NHNN provide both a general in-patient psychiatric liaison service to a specialised neuroscience population and specialist neuropsychiatric input. Our preliminary results broadly reflect experience in other centres (1). However, we identified data gaps and used these to re-design our referral process. Evaluation of this project will be completed early in 2017 and ww will present this in our final poster.
Neurology referrals to a liaison psychiatry service. Fitzgerald, P et al. Ir Med J. 2008