IntroductionReferrals to psychiatry from primary care has increased in recent years. This can be the result of the global economic situation and represents a problem for specialized care, because patients can’t usually be correctly attended to. On the other hand, patients who don’t come to visits make up other important issues that we must analyze.ObjectivesTo analyze the differences between patients who did not come for their first visit and those who did in order to try to describe variables that could be affecting them.MethodsThis is an epidemiological, analytic, prospective study of patients referred to our department. The following variables were collected: (1) referral protocol, (2) reason, (3) demographic data, (4) attendance to appointment, (5) diagnosis impression and (6) destination of referral. The SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the data.ResultsWe studied a total of 1.048 patients for 15 months, of which 20.6% did not come to their first visit. A statistically significant relationship between attendance and gender, year of the appointment, adequate demand or not, previous follow-up and diagnosis was found (Chi2). However, if a logistic regression was carried out, only the adequacy of the demand was included in the model.ConclusionsCoordination with general practitioners is essential to improve referrals and, most importantly, the attention to patients. If we can agree on the referral criteria, a better-personalized assistance can be offered to patients who have more difficulties in coming (because of characteristics of illness, place of residence, and other variables).Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
IntroductionThe distribution of the demand from primary care in the mental health units could be a way of facilitating the coordination and improving the attention to patients. For this reason, in our unit we have made a repartition of the areas among the different psychiatrists.ObjectivesTo analyze if there was a correlation between the geographical origin of the patients or their primary care areas and the referrals, and between them and their attendance.MethodsThis is an epidemiological, analytic, prospective study of patients referred to our department. The following variables were collected: (1) referral protocol, (2) reason, (3) demographic data (origin, gender, age), (4) Primary Care area, (5) attendance to appointment, (6) diagnosis impression and (7) destination of referral. The SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the data.ResultsA total of 1048 patients were sampled. A statistically significant relationship hasn’t been found between place of residence, primary care area or areas of distribution in the Unit and attendance (Chi2). If we analyze the population of each distribution, we can describe similar percentages depending on the size of these.ConclusionsAlthough a different distribution and a relationship is thought between some areas and the attendance or the number of referrals, we didn’t find out them in our sample.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
IntroductionThe first visit is crucial, since it is where a treatment plan is selected and the decision to refer or not the patient to a specialized unit is made. Mental care could be improved through the centralization of demand and the identification of patients’ and psychiatrists’ expectations.ObjectivesAnalyzing patients’ and psychiatrists’ demands and expectations in the first visit to use them as a starting point for the planning and coordination of treatment actions.AimsTo design a record system of the Minimum Basic Data Set of the Centralized Department of our Unit.MethodsThis is an epidemiological, observational, prospective study of patients referred to our department. Following variables were collected:– referral origin;– reason;– demographic data;– diagnosis impression;– destination of referral.The Statistical Package for Social Science version 19.0 was used to analyze the data.ResultsTable 1.ConclusionsThe data obtained are consistent with those reported in the literature for this population. The high rate of wrong referrals reveals the necessity of improving coordination and establishing specific referral criteria. Some initiatives have been designed and will be prospectively evaluated in the future.Table 1Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
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