Medical inpatients' adherence to outpatient psychiatric aftercare: a prospective study of patients evaluated by an inpatient consultation liaison psychiatry service.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine whether patients on psychiatric medication evaluated by inpatient consultation psychiatrists followed up with psychiatric aftercare and continued psychiatric medication 8 weeks post-discharge. Barriers to care and their effect on aftercare follow-up were assessed. METHOD: This was a prospective study of a consecutive sample of adults who received a psychiatric consultation and were prescribed psychotropic medication during hospitalization on the general medical or surgical inpatient units at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Baseline information was collected from 36 patients who received an inpatient psychiatric consultation and were: (1) prescribed psychiatric medications; and (2) discharged to home. Follow-up data was collected from 21 (58.3%) of these patients 8 weeks post-discharge. RESULTS: Of 36 patients who provided baseline data, 93% recognized they had a psychiatric disorder, 90% recognized the importance of taking psychiatric medication, and 80% recognized the importance of psychiatric aftercare. Aftercare recommendations were included in only 33% of patient discharge instructions. Of 21 patients providing follow-up data, 57% reported receiving psychiatric aftercare. Patients who did not receive psychiatric aftercare were significantly more likely to be at risk for poor literacy (88.9% vs. 33.3% Fisher's exact test = 0.024) and were less often given psychiatric aftercare instructions at discharge (22% vs. 42%). CONCLUSIONS: Poor communication of aftercare instructions as well as poor literacy may be associated with lack of psychiatric aftercare. Consultation psychiatrists should assess literacy and insure aftercare information is provided to patients.