Clinical profile of inpatients referred to a consultation-liaison psychiatry service: an observational study assessing changes over a 10-yearperiod.

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has described the characteristics of Consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) services over one or more years. The aim of this paper was to examine the patterns of a large sample of patients receiving CLP service over a 10-year-period (2005–2014) and to determine the possible changes over time of the clinical practice. The sample size of our study, the duration of the observation period and the application of standardized operating procedures for acquiring and coding data, will provide more robust evidence than has been reported by most similar studies published in the last years. METHODS: Longitudinal observational and descriptive study. Data were collected prospectively with standardized operating procedures on consecutive inpatient consultation requests to the University Clinical Hospital of Barcelona CLP service. RESULTS: 9,808 psychiatric consultation were requested (referral rate=2.2%). The referrals to our CLP service were requested mainly by medical units. The most frequent psychiatric diagnoses were alcohol-related disorders, delirium and adjustment disorders. The mean percentage of patients treated with psychopharmacologic drugs was 81.6%. The mean length of the hospital stays of patients with psychiatric comorbidity referred to our CLP service was significantly longer than that of all the admissions to the hospital during that period. Most of the studied variables remained constant over the 10-year-period. However, some somatic diagnoses at admission, reasons for referral and recommendations of psychotropic drugs presented significant changes. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the continuous evolution and changes of several factors in the last two decades, like the health care systems, the clinical practice of CLP services has been quite stable over time. However, our results support the idea of a non-static specialty.

Características clínicas de los pacientes derivados a un servicio hospitalario de psiquiatría de enlace e interconsulta: un estudio observacional evaluando cambios a lo largo de un período de 10 años / Clinical profile of inpatients referred to a consultation-liaison psychiatry service: an observational study assessing changes over a 10-year-period

Objetivo. Existen diversas investigaciones previas que han descrito las características de distintos servicios hospitalarios de Psiquiatría de Enlace e Interconsulta (PEI) a lo largo de un periodo de tiempo de uno o más años. El propósito del presente artículo es el de examinar las características de una muestra amplia de pacientes remitidos a un servicio hospitalario de PEI, durante un período de 10 años (2005-2014) y determinar los posibles cambios de la práctica clínica a lo largo del tiempo. El tamaño muestral de nuestro estudio, la duración del periodo de observación y la aplicación de procedimientos estandarizados para la obtención y codificación de los datos, aportan una evidencia más sólida en comparación con otros estudios similares publicados en los últimos años. Métodos. Estudio observacional, longitudinal y descriptivo. Los datos se recopilaron de forma prospectiva mediante procedimientos estandarizados, en base a las solicitudes recibidas en el servicio hospitalario de PEI del Hospital Clínico Universitario de Barcelona. Resultados. se solicitaron un total de 9.808 consultas psiquiátricas (tasa de derivación=2,2%). Las derivaciones a nuestro servicio fueron realizadas principalmente por unidades médicas. Los diagnósticos psiquiátricos más frecuentes fueron los trastornos relacionados con el consumo de alcohol, los cuadros confusionales y los trastornos de adaptación. El porcentaje medio de pacientes manejados con tratamiento psicofarmacológico fue del 81,6%. La duración media de las hospitalizaciones de los pacientes con comorbilidad psiquiátrica, derivados a nuestro servicio de psiquiatría de enlace, fue significativamente mayor a la estancia media global del hospital durante ese periodo. La mayoría de las variables estudiadas permanecieron constantes durante el período de 10 años. Sin embargo, algunos diagnósticos médicos en el momento del ingreso, motivos de derivación y recomendaciones de tratamiento psicofarmacológico presentaron cambios significativos. Conclusiones. A pesar de la evolución continua y los importantes cambios que se han producido en los sistemas de salud en las dos últimas décadas, la práctica clínica de los servicios de PEI ha permanecido bastante estable en el tiempo. Sin embargo, nuestros resultados apoyan la idea de una especialidad dinámica

Objective. Previous research has described the characteristics of Consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) services over one or more years. The aim of this paper was to examine the patterns of a large sample of patients receiving CLP service over a 10-year-period (2005-2014) and to determine the possible changes over time of the clinical practice. The sample size of our study, the duration of the observation period and the application of standardized operating procedures for acquiring and coding data, will provide more robust evidence than has been reported by most similar studies published in the last years. Methods. Longitudinal observational and descriptive study. Data were collected prospectively with standardized operating procedures on consecutive inpatient consultation requests to the University Clinical Hospital of Barcelona CLP service. Results. 9,808 psychiatric consultation were requested (referral rate=2.2%). The referrals to our CLP service were requested mainly by medical units. The most frequent psychiatric diagnoses were alcohol-related disorders, delirium and adjustment disorders. The mean percentage of patients treated with psychopharmacologic drugs was 81.6%. The mean length of the hospital stays of patients with psychiatric comorbidity referred to our CLP service was significantly longer than that of all the admissions to the hospital during that period. Most of the studied variables remained constant over the 10-year-period. However, some somatic diagnoses at admission, reasons for referral and recommendations of psychotropic drugs presented significant changes. Conclusions. Despite the continuous evolution and changes of several factors in the last two decades, like the health care systems, the clinical practice of CLP services has been quite stable over time. However, our results support the idea of a non-static specialty