New Potential Clinical Indicators of Consultation–Liaison Psychiatry's Effectiveness in Brazilian General Hospitals

Performance measurement tools for consultation-liaison psychiatry services must consider feasibility

This editorial describes an effort by 9 consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry service leaders in the United States to incorporate routine performance measurement into their service workflows. Although C-L psychiatry is an essential clinical service in general hospitals, performance metrics for this service have not been broadly accepted or implemented. Meanwhile, the performance metrics that have been developed rely on an investment in resources and/or new workflows that C-L psychiatry services may not be prepared to make on a widespread level. Our group sought to determine the feasibility of incorporating routine performance measurement into the workflows of a diverse sample of C-L psychiatry services using only existing resources via three collection methods: timestamp review, chart auditing, and survey administration. No methods were broadly successful across the 9 services. We argue that for routine performance measurement to gain wider traction in the field of C-L psychiatry, the ready availability-or automatability-of performance data must be taken into account.

Development of psychiatric risk evaluation checklist and routine for nurses in a general hospital: ethnographic qualitative study

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE

There is high prevalence of mental and behavioral disorders in general hospitals, thus triggering psychiatric risk situations. This study aimed to develop a psychiatric risk assessment checklist and routine for nurses, the Psychiatric Risk Evaluation Check-List (PRE-CL), as an alternative model for early identification and management of these situations in general hospitals.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Ethnographic qualitative study in a tertiary-level private hospital.

METHOD

Three hundred general-unit nurses participated in the study. Reports were gathered through open groups conducted by a trained nurse, at shift changes for two months. The questions used were: "Would you consider it helpful to discuss daily practice situations with a psychiatrist? Which situations?" The data were qualitatively analyzed through an ethnographic approach.

RESULTS

The nurses considered it useful to discuss daily practice situations relating to mental and behavioral disorders with a psychiatrist. Their reports were used to develop PRE-CL, within the patient overall risk assessment routine for all inpatients within 24 hours after admission and every 48 hours thereafter. Whenever one item was present, the psychosomatic medicine team was notified. They went to the unit, gathered data from the nurses, patient files and, if necessary, attending doctors, and decided on the risk management: guidance, safety measures or mental health consultation.

CONCLUSION

It is possible to develop a model for detecting and intervening in psychiatric and behavioral disorders at general hospitals based on nursing team observations, through a checklist that takes these observations into account and a routine inserted into daily practice.

Wand A. Quality indicators for a consultation-liaison psychiatry service

Purpose

– Consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) researchers have not yet developed accepted quality indicators to measure efficiency or effectiveness. The purpose of this paper is to combine objective and subjective quality indicators to assess hospital-based CLP service utilisation, efficiency and effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

– Service utilisation rate was calculated over the service's first four years. Patient characteristics and objective quality indicators relating to response timeliness in 2012 were examined. Totally, 41 staff and 52 consecutive patients completed evaluation surveys to subjectively evaluate effectiveness.

Findings

– The utilisation rate increased initially and then slightly declined to 1.03 per cent of all hospital admissions. In 2012, 91.5 per cent were seen on the same referral day and 99.4 per cent by the next day. The benchmark for urgent referrals was not met (77.4 per cent). Patients rated involvement with the CLP service a positive experience (90 per cent), but were less clear about follow-up plans (68 per cent). Staff believed that the service improved the patients’ hospital course (98 per cent) and was communicated well (93-95 per cent). Only 63 per cent agreed that relevant CLP education was provided and 76 per cent rated follow-up plans as clear.

Originality/value

– This CLP service was evaluated by measuring utilisation rates, referral response timeliness and consumer feedback. Referral to contact time is a useful objective quality indicator but should be combined with subjective yet standardised measures surveying service recipients (patients and referring staff) to be comprehensive and meaningful.

Medical residency: factors relating to "difficulty in helping" in the resident physician-patient relationship

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE

Previous studies have attempted to understand what leads physicians to label patients as 'difficult'. Understanding this process is particularly important for resident physicians, who are developing attitudes that may have long-term impact on their interactions with patients. The aim of this study was to distinguish between patients' self-rated emotional state (anxiety and depression) and residents' perceptions of that state as a predictor of patients being considered difficult.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional survey conducted in the hospital of Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp).

METHODS

The residents completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and rated their patients using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Difficulty in Helping the Patient Questionnaire (DTH). The patients completed HADS independently and were rated using the Karnofsky Performance Status scale.

RESULTS

On average, the residents rated the patients as presenting little difficulty. The residents' ratings of difficulty presented an association with their ratings for patient depression (r = 0.35, P = 0.03) and anxiety (r = 0.46, P = 0.02), but not with patients' self-ratings for depression and anxiety. Residents from distant cities were more likely to rate patients as difficult to help than were residents from the city of the hospital (mean score of 1.93 versus 1.07; P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding what leads residents to label patients as having depression and anxiety problems may be a productive approach towards reducing perceived difficulty. Residents from distant cities may be more likely to find their patients difficult.

Percepções de profissionais de enfermagem sobre intervenções de Terapia Ocupacional em Saúde Mental em hospital universitário

OBJETIVO: Conhecer as percepções de profissionais de enfermagem sobre intervenções grupais de Terapia Ocupacional em Saúde Mental realizadas com pacientes internados em um hospital universitário. MÉTODOS: Estudo de abordagem qualitativa do tipo descrito. As anotações das coordenadoras dos grupos de Terapia Ocupacional foram analisadas em relação às entrevistas abertas junto a n enfermeiras e n técnicos de enfermagem que participaram das intervenções grupais de Terapia Ocupacional pelo período de dois anos. As respostas foram submetidas à análise do Discurso do Sujeito Coletivo (DSC). RESULTADOS: Foram identificadas quatro ideias centrais do DSC: a Terapia Ocupacional como favorecedora do cuidado integrado, valorizando o sujeito e sua experiência; a terapia ocupacional como processo de ajuda e cuidado para a própria equipe; o grupo de Terapia Ocupacional como espaço de ressonância e facilitação no manejo com o paciente em razão da percepção de aspectos relacionais. CONCLUSÃO: As estratégias foram percebidas, quer como promotoras da reorganização da situação vivida pelo paciente na internação, quer como oportunidades de ensino e apoio para a equipe de enfermagem.

The needs of members of the families of general hospital inpatients

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE

The needs of members of the families of intensive care unit patients have been studied, but little is known about the needs of members of the families of general hospital inpatients, especially patients with chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to identify the needs of members of the families of general hospital inpatients and investigate associations between these needs and the patients' clinical and psychiatric profiles.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Descriptive study, in a public teaching hospital.

METHODS

A random sample of 47 patients and members of their families was studied. Family members' needs were investigated using the critical care family needs inventory and the patients' clinical profiles were investigated using the hospital anxiety and depression scale, confusion assessment method and Karnofsky performance status. The frequencies of family members' needs were described and the patients' clinical and psychiatric characteristics were correlated with the needs using the chi-squared test.

RESULTS

Chronic patients predominated and the needs for reassurance and information were indicated as the most important by all members of their families. No associations were found between the patients' characteristics and the needs of members of their families during the hospitalization.

CONCLUSIONS

The needs indicated by members of the families of general hospital inpatients were similar to those of members of the families of patients in intensive care units: they considered it very important to be reassured and kept informed throughout the hospitalization.