A Multifaceted Assessment of the Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Service Within a Regional Australian Hospital

Abstract

Background: Medical and mental health conditions have a reciprocal relationship, with each impacting the other. Consultation–liaison psychiatry (CLP) is a sub-speciality that addresses psychiatric comorbidities in the general hospital system and positively impacts hospital resources through its service aspects of ‘consultation’ and ‘liaison’. This multi-faceted evaluation aims to describe and evaluate the characteristics of a regional CLP service. Methods: Retrospective evaluation of all referrals accepted by CLP between May 2021 and 2022 were reviewed through the hospital’s electronic records. An evaluation tool was designed to assess multiple aspects of care, including the source of referrals, the reasons for referral, patient demographics, how quickly the patient was seen, information on their mental health, and the details and timeframe of CLP involvement. Findings: There were 147 patients included in this study. Doctors were the primary referrers (92%). A total of 94% of patients were reviewed within 24 h of the referral being received. Referral reasons were balanced across diagnostic clarification/review, medication review, and risk review. A large proportion of referrals were aged > 60 years. There was a large proportion of patients who lived rurally, requiring hospital transfer. CLP involvement was primarily required to provide a diagnosis (91% of patients) and provide pharmacological management advice (88%). Conclusions: The CLP service currently operates with limited resources, and without additional support, the sustainability of the service will become increasingly challenged due to population ageing. It is essential that we address this issue to ensure that the community’s needs are met effectively.