Proactive Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry: American Psychiatric Association Resource Document

Proactive Addiction Consultation for Hospitalized Patients with Opioid Use Disorder: A Pilot Study

BACKGROUND

Opioid use disorder (OUD) negatively impacts individuals, communities, and health care systems with significant morbidity and mortality. There is a need for early intervention with hospitalized patients with OUD to improve health outcomes. Proactive consultation-liaison psychiatry, with and without electronic health record (EHR) tools, is an effective way to reach more patients in need and to improve health services outcomes. The impact of proactive addiction consultation is unknown.

METHODS

This quasi-randomized, controlled pilot study tested whether, in hospitalized patients with likely OUD, early identification and prompts to initiate consultation resulted in an increased proportion of consultations completed as compared to usual care. Secondary outcomes included initiation of medication for OUD (MOUD), leaving against medical advice, emergency room utilization, and hospital readmission. An EHR-generated daily report was used to identify patients admitted to the hospital in the previous day with diagnoses synonymous with opioid use disorder (e.g., opioid abuse, opioid dependence) or often associated with a co-occurring opioid use disorder (e.g., bacterial endocarditis, accidental overdose). Individuals confirmed through further chart review as having a high likelihood of OUD were assigned to intervention versus treatment-as-usual in a standardized fashion. The intervention consisted of our research team suggesting an addiction consultation if the patient agreed. Primary teams for the treatment-as-usual participants were not contacted and consultations were only completed if the primary team independently requested them.

RESULTS

Participants randomized to the intervention arm were significantly more likely to receive an addiction consultation (54.8% vs. 16.2%, p<0.0001). There were no significant differences between the two groups in secondary outcomes. Secondary analyses showed that participants who received an addiction consultation (independent of group assignment) were significantly more likely to receive MOUD than those who did not (61.2% vs. 29.3%, p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

A proactive model suggesting addiction consultation in patients with likely opioid use disorder resulted in an increased proportion of completed consultations as compared to usual care. Addiction consultations were associated with initiation or continuation of MOUD, demonstrating the value of addiction consultation services in the hospital. More research is needed to show the potential impact of addiction consultation services on health outcomes.

2024 ACLP Recommendations for Training Residents in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

BACKGROUND

Despite rapid shifts in consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) training in residency, including increasing general residency training requirements from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, greater utilization of advanced practice providers, and effects of the coronavirus-2019 pandemic, the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry has not updated recommendations for residency training in CLP since 2014. A national survey of residency program directors in 2021 suggested many changes to the structure of CLP rotations at individual programs over the past decade.

OBJECTIVE

These recommendations are intended to guide residency program directors toward optimizing CLP training for all residents, including those who will eventually pursue CLP fellowship.

METHODS

We convened a workgroup of 8 Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry members holding leadership positions in residency and fellowship education on local and national levels. The project was approved by the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Executive Council and conducted via a three-stage iterative process.

RESULTS

Consensus was reached on 34 recommendations across four domains, including structural issues, faculty supervision, formal curriculum and evaluations, and elective experiences. Residents must spend sufficient time on CLP rotations to achieve relevant milestones. Given that consultants are expected to offer unique insight, the ideal placement of core CLP rotations comes at a time in residency where residents are able to provide expert opinion and lead teams. Faculty expertise in CLP and availability to provide direct supervision and oversight to trainees are essential. A separate and formal CLP didactic curriculum should exist, and elective opportunities should be offered to supplement training.

CONCLUSIONS

Establishing a strong CLP foundation for all residents is essential for ensuring competency in providing psychiatric care for medically complex patients and collaborating with our colleagues in other specialties, as well as fostering trainee interest in pursuing a career in CLP.

Advancing Models of Care in Transplant Psychiatry: A Review and Considerations for Enhancing the Multidisciplinary Approach

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Psychosocial considerations in transplant candidacy evaluation, waitlist, and post-transplant period is tremendously important to overall transplant care. Integration of mental health services in multidisciplinary transplant teams improves adherence to medical regimens, enhances quality of life, and reduces the risk of post-transplant complications.

RECENT FINDINGS

Despite this, psychiatrists are often under-utilized by transplant centers, with engagement typically limited to transplant candidacy evaluations or reactive consults in a traditional CL model. In this review, we aim to 1) highlight the relevance of psychiatry throughout the transplant course, 2) outline the role of a CL psychiatrist in advancing patient care and supporting multidisciplinary teams in transplant, 3) develop an understanding of CL service models in both the inpatient and ambulatory setting and 4) consider the utility of innovating current transplant psychiatry practices.

A supervised consultation-Liaison psychiatry training model in a general hospital in China

Consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatry is becoming a recognized subspecialty in medical settings; it is a branch of psychiatry that addresses the treatment of the medically ill. Training for CL psychiatry is still insufficient in China. We introduce our training model, supervised CL based on the Union Psychosomatic Clinical Approach with Learning Exchange (UPSCALE) model, to improve consultation-liaison skills among psychiatrists. We describe the supervision process via a clinical case. The supervisee expresses learning needs, and the supervisor selects a consultation case and performs interviews via the UPSCALE model. After the interview, the doctors provide feedback to the patients and discuss the case. The experience includes reporting summaries and experience narratives from supervisees, as well as comments and guidance from supervisors. Through the supervised consultation-liaison training model, young psychiatrists have multiple opportunities to improve learning by observing, practising, and exchanging experiences in CL psychiatry.

Implementation and evaluation of a proactive consultation-liaison model on an inpatient obstetric unit

OBJECTIVE

Perinatal mental and anxiety disorders (PMADs) contribute to adverse health outcomes, though they are underrecognized and undertreated. Inpatient obstetric settings represent a unique opportunity for behavioral health engagement, including screening, brief treatment, and referrals for outpatient care. The proactive consultation-liaison (CL) model has proven effective in general hospital settings but is not well-studied in obstetric settings. This article describes the implementation and evaluation of a proactive CL model in an inpatient obstetric unit within a tertiary medical center.

METHODS

We implemented a multidisciplinary, proactive CL model in an inpatient obstetric unit with the purpose of identifying patients at risk for or experiencing PMADs and providing intervention and/or referral to treatment. Systematic screening of 7322 admitted patients was performed over a 17-month period to identify eligible patients for behavioral health consultation. Consultation data was retrospectively extracted from the electronic medical record. Key implementation outcomes were assessed using a RE-AIM measures (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework.

RESULTS

1589 initial consults were conducted by the multidisciplinary team, yielding a consult rate of 21.7 %. The majority of consults (94 %) were completed by a social worker or psychologist, with most patients identified for consultation at multidisciplinary rounds (60.7 %). The most common indications for consultation with a psychiatrist included medication management, history of bipolar disorder, and history of anxiety. All invited staff and providers participated in the model. Alternative funding sources agreed to cover the salaries of the multidisciplinary team following conclusion of pilot grant funding.

CONCLUSIONS

A proactive CL model implemented in an inpatient obstetric unit led to a higher consult rate (21.7 %) than is observed with traditional CL services. A multidisciplinary proactive CL model shows promise in identifying people at-risk for PMADs and providing targeted interventions to prevent PMADs and treat those with active symptoms.

Proactive Psychiatry: Innovating the Delivery of Consultation-Liaison Services in a Pediatric Hospital

BACKGROUND

The benefits of a proactive consultation-liaison psychiatry service have been well documented in the adult population, including decreased length of stay (LOS), increased satisfaction among physicians, and enhanced collaborative care. However, there is no available research on the effectiveness of this model in pediatric hospitals.

OBJECTIVE

This study compared patients aged 5-18 years on a general medical floor receiving a proactive psychiatry consult to concurrent controls receiving no consult and to historical controls receiving traditional reactive consults.

METHODS

New admissions to two pediatric general medical hospital teams were reviewed on weekday mornings to identify those with active psychiatric concerns. Adjusted negative binomial regression was used to compare the primary outcome of hospital LOS between the proactive (n = 65), concurrent control (n = 63), and reactive historical control (n = 45) groups. Patient satisfaction, hospitalist satisfaction, and recommendation concordance (degree to which psychiatry recommendations were implemented by the primary team) were also compared between groups as secondary outcome measures.

RESULTS

After adjusting for age, sex, race, insurance type, reason for consult, and medical diagnosis, concurrent control patients had 14% (P = 0.295) longer mean LOS than proactive consults, and historical controls had twice (P < 0.001) the mean LOS of those with proactive consults. Response rate for patient satisfaction scores was low, but responses were modestly more favorable among patients who received proactive consultation-liaison services. Based on nine paired pediatric hospitalist presurveys and postsurveys, follow-up surveys were statistically significantly more favorable after a proactive psychiatry consult service was introduced. Concordance of recommendations was observed to be higher for proactive consults than concurrent controls for diagnoses and nonmedication (other) recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

The positive impact of a proactive consultation-liaison psychiatry consultation model was observed in a pediatric hospital and was associated with a lower LOS than concurrent controls and historical reactive consults, higher hospitalist satisfaction among paired responses, and greater concordance of diagnosis and other non-medication recommendations.

Evaluating the Proactive C-L Model: Insights and Unanswered Questions From the UK HOME Study

The HOME Study is the largest and among the most important trials in the history of consultation-liaison psychiatry, and its study team is to be commended for this landmark study. In this article, we provide context for the HOME Study and consider several aspects of the study critical to understanding the nature of the intervention and interpreting its results. First, we compare the model of proactive integrated consultation-liaison psychiatry as implemented in the HOME Study with versions of proactive consultation-liaison psychiatry as commonly practiced in the US. Key distinctions of proactive integrated consultation-liaison psychiatry include a direct assessment of all study arm participants by a consultation-liaison psychiatrist rather than the use of initial screening for acute psychiatric issues, the unique inclusion of an occupational therapist as a member of the proactive integrated consultation-liaison psychiatry team, and patient-level randomization as opposed to unit-based approaches as commonly practiced in the US. Next, we consider several characteristics of the HOME Study sample relevant to its generalizability. These include an average age of 82 years, limited ethnic and racial diversity, and a high prevalence of both cognitive and functional impairment. Third, we review how study methodology informs study interpretation. These include early trial termination due to COVID, which limits power to detect a 1-day reduction in hospital, a mean 3.5-day delay from hospital admission to study enrollment, and the exclusion of patients who had already received a psychiatric consultation, which likely reduced the acuity of mental health issues addressed in this study. Despite these considerations, the HOME Study is a truly remarkable contribution to the literature, and its results will be discussed for years to come. In view of the aging global population, the HOME Study set about to tackle an especially ambitious and forward-looking question by focusing exclusively on older hospitalized adults. Like all good studies, this trial raises many important questions. As the first randomized trial of proactive consultation-liaison psychiatry of any form, the HOME Study is an encouragement to the field to consider the range of potential benefits of providing proactive, integrated mental health care to medical and surgical inpatients with mental health needs.

Patient and Medical Unit Staff Experiences of Proactive and Integrated Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry in The HOME Study: A Qualitative Investigation

BACKGROUND

Consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry services aim to help general hospital staff provide better care for their patients. Recently, many inpatient C-L psychiatry services have adopted proactive and integrated approaches to achieve this aim. Despite these developments, there have been no interview-based studies of patients' and staff members' experiences of the new approaches.

OBJECTIVE

To gain an in-depth understanding of patients' and medical unit staff members' experiences of a proactive and integrated C-L psychiatry service for older medical inpatients (Proactive Integrated C-L Psychiatry [PICLP]).

METHODS

We conducted an interview-based qualitative study with thematic analysis. The participants were patients and staff who had experienced PICLP during The HOME Study, a randomized trial that evaluated PICLP in 24 medical units of three UK general hospitals.

RESULTS

We conducted 97 interviews: 43 with patients or their proxies (family members who were interviewed on behalf of patients with significant cognitive impairment) and 54 with staff members of all relevant disciplines. Patients and staff both described how PICLP was a helpful addition to medical care and discharge planning. It enhanced the medical unit team's ability to address psychological, psychiatric, and social needs and provide patient-centered care. They welcomed proactive biopsychosocial assessments and the broader perspective that these offered on patients' complex problems. They also valued the integration of C-L psychiatrists into the unit teams and their daily contact with them. For patients, it fostered a therapeutic relationship and helped them to be more engaged in decisions about their medical care and discharge planning. For staff, it enabled ready access to psychiatric expertise and training opportunities. The few reported experiences of PICLP being unhelpful were mainly about the greater number of clinicians involved in patients' care and a lack of clarity about professional roles in the integrated team.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that older inpatients and medical unit staff experienced PICLP as both acceptable and generally helpful. Our findings add to the existing evidence for the benefits of proactive and integrated C-L psychiatry services.

Longer hospitalizations, more complications, and greater readmissions for patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders undergoing pulmonary lobectomy

OBJECTIVE

To examine the influence of comorbid psychiatric disorders (PSYD) on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Readmissions Database from 2016 to 2018 was performed. Patients with lung cancer with and without psychiatric comorbidities who underwent pulmonary lobectomy were collated and analyzed (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental disorders [F01-99]). The association of PSYD with complications, length of stay, and readmissions was assessed using a multivariable regression analysis. Additional subgroup analyses were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 41,691 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 27.84% (11,605) of the patients had at least 1 PSYD. PSYD was associated with a significantly increased risk of postoperative complications (relative risk, 1.041; 95% CI, 1.015-1.068; P = .0018), pulmonary complications (relative risk, 1.125; 95% CI, 1.08-1.171; P < .0001), longer length of stay (PSYD mean, 6.79 days and non-PSYD mean, 5.68 days; P < .0001), higher 30-day readmission rate (9.2% vs 7.9%; P < .0001), and 90-day readmission rate (15.4% vs 12.9%; P < .007). Among patients with PSYD, those with cognitive disorders and psychotic disorders (eg, schizophrenia) appear to have the highest rates and risks of postoperative morbidity and in-hospital mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with lung cancer with comorbid psychiatric disorders undergoing lobectomy experience worse postoperative outcomes with longer hospitalization, increased rates of overall and pulmonary complications, and greater readmissions suggesting potential opportunities for improved psychiatric care during the perioperative period.

Behavioral Health Integration on Inpatient Obstetric Units: Program Development, Strategies for Implementation, and Lessons Learned

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and substance use disorders are the primary causes of maternal mortality in the postpartum period and represent major public health concerns. Despite this, these conditions remain undertreated. Behavioral health integration in outpatient obstetric settings is necessary but insufficient to meet the needs of all patients. Inpatient behavioral health integration represents a promising avenue for addressing gaps in care. Results from recent program development indicate that needs assessment, stakeholder backing, collaboration with existing programs, and adaptability are key factors in successful implementation.

Using Discrete Form Data in the Electronic Medical Record to Predict the Likelihood of Psychiatric Consultation

BACKGROUND

Manually screening for mental health needs in acute medical-surgical settings is thorough but time-intensive. Automated approaches to screening can enhance efficiency and reliability, but the predictive accuracy of automated screening remains largely unknown.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this project are to develop an automated screening list using discrete form data in the electronic medical record that identify medical inpatients with psychiatric needs and to evaluate its ability to predict the likelihood of psychiatric consultation.

METHODS

An automated screening list was incorporated into an existing manual screening process for 1 year. Screening items were applied to the year's implementation data to determine whether they predicted consultation likelihood. Consultation likelihood was designated high, medium, or low. This prediction model was applied hospital-wide to characterize mental health needs.

RESULTS

The screening items were derived from nursing screens, orders, and medication and diagnosis groupers. We excluded safety or suicide sitters from the model because all patients with sitters received psychiatric consultation. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the regression model was 84%. The two most predictive items in the model were "3 or more psychiatric diagnoses" (odds ratio 15.7) and "prior suicide attempt" (odds ratio 4.7). The low likelihood category had a negative predictive value of 97.2%; the high likelihood category had a positive predictive value of 46.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

Electronic medical record discrete data elements predict the likelihood of psychiatric consultation. Automated approaches to screening deserve further investigation.

Proactive and integrated consultation-liaison psychiatry for older medical inpatients: A mixed methods description of training, care provided and clinician experience in the HOME study

OBJECTIVES

To describe the practical experience of delivering a proactive and integrated consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry service model (PICLP). PICLP is designed for older medical inpatients and is explicitly biopsychosocial and discharge-focused. In this paper we report: (a) observations on the training of 15 clinicians (seven senior C-L psychiatrists and eight assisting clinicians) to deliver PICLP; (b) the care they provided to 1359 patients; (c) their experiences of working in this new way.

METHOD

A mixed methods observational study using quantitative and qualitative data, collected prospectively over two years as part of The HOME Study (a randomized trial comparing PICLP with usual care).

RESULTS

The clinicians were successfully trained to deliver PICLP according to the service manual. They proactively assessed all patients and found that most had multiple biopsychosocial problems impeding their timely discharge from hospital. They integrated with ward teams to provide a range of interventions aimed at addressing these problems. Delivering PICLP took a modest amount of clinical time, and the clinicians experienced it as both clinically valuable and professionally rewarding.

CONCLUSION

The experience of delivering PICLP highlights the special role that C-L psychiatry clinicians, working in a proactive and integrated way, can play in medical care.

Nurses' experiences of a screening and associated psychosomatic consultation service for mental comorbidities in somatic care inpatients - a qualitative study

Background

Screening for mental comorbidities and related liaison service can reduce hospital length of stay in somatic hospital care. To develop, test and sustain such health care services, stakeholder feedback is required. One of the most important stakeholders in general hospital care and health care processes are nurses.

Aim

The aim of this study is to explore nurses' experiencess on standardized nurse-led screening for mental comorbidities and associated psychosomatic consultation service in routine somatic inpatient care.

Method

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 nurses that were involved in a nurse-led screening service for mental comorbidities on internal medicine or dermatological wards. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Eight thematic groups were developed. On the one hand, participants reported benefits of screening: mental health education, general mental health awareness, holistic treatment approach, opportunity to build rapport with patients and reduction in workload. On the other hand, possible psychological effects of the intervention, reasons why patients may not want to be referred and application requirements to facilitate delivery were identified. None of the nurses opposed screening and associated psychosomatic consultation service.

Conclusion

All nurses endorsed the screening intervention and considered it meaningful. Nurses particularly emphasized the potential for holistic patient care and nurses' improved skills and competencies, but partly critizised current application requirements.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study adds on existent evidence on nurse-led screening for mental comorbidities and associated psychosomatic consultation service by emphasizing its potential to improve both patient care as well as nurses' perceived self-efficacy and job satisfaction. To take full advantage of this potential, however, usability improvements, regular supervision, and ongoing training for nurses need to be considered.

Implementing a workflow-integrated motivational interviewing training program for psychiatry trainees on an inpatient consultation-liaison rotation: lessons learned

Background

Effective consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) is proactive, collaborative, and requires providers to have proficiency with therapeutic skills beyond nosology and medication management. Motivational interviewing (MI) is an evidenced-based intervention that should be considered essential for CLP trainees to learn. Given that the demands of training and patient care are already experienced as stressful for many psychiatry trainees, the authors endeavored to create a MI training program that was integrated into trainees' normal CLP workflow.

Method

Twenty-two trainees on an inpatient CLP rotation participated in a six-week MI training program that was incorporated into their regular workflow. The program included didactic sessions with role-playing, as well as on-demand between-session coaching via an expert in MI. Trainee participation and perceptions of MI were measured via a questionnaire that was administered prior to each training session.

Results

Trainee participation in the didactic sessions was inconsistent. Questionnaire data revealed positive baseline perceptions of motivational interviewing and its usefulness in inpatient medical settings. Additionally, as trainees participated in the program, perceived knowledge of motivational interviewing as well as awareness of motivational issues among their patients increased. Finally, participation in program was not perceived as disruptive to daily workflow for the participants.

Discussion

This the first documented attempt at implementing a MI training program for CLP trainees that was integrated into their regular workflow. Preliminary data identified some encouraging trends, but also unexpected challenges. These lessons could inform how these types of training programs are implemented moving forward.

A Cross-Sectional, Retrospective, and Comparative Study between Delirium and Non-Delirium Psychiatric Disorders in a Psychogeriatric Inpatient Population Referred to Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Unit

Background and objectives: Delirium is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in inpatient older people. Its presence is associated with higher rates of institutionalization, functional disability and mortality. This study aims to evaluate delirium in a hospitalized psychogeriatric population, focusing on which factors predict the appearance of delirium, the impact it generates and the diagnostic concordance between non-psychiatric physicians and psychiatrists. Material and methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional, retrospective, and comparative study. We obtained data from a sample of 1017 patients (≥65 years) admitted to general hospital and referred from different services to the consultation-liaison psychiatry (CLP) unit. Logistic regression was performed using delirium as the dependent variable. To estimate the concordance of the diagnoses, the Kappa coefficient was used. To assess the impact of delirium, an ordinal regression, Wilcoxon median test and Fisher’s test were performed. Results: Delirium is associated with a higher number of visits, OR 3.04 (95% CI 2.38–3.88), longer length of stay and mortality, OR 2.07 (95% CI, 1.05 to 4.10). The model to predict delirium shows that being >75 years old has an OR of 2.1 (95% CI, 1.59–2.79), physical disability has an OR of 1.66 (95% CI, 1.25–2.20), history of delirium has an OR of 10.56 (95% CI, 5.26–21.18) and no use of benzodiazepines has an OR of 4.24 (95% CI, 2.92–6.14). The concordance between the referring physician’s psychiatric diagnosis and the psychiatrist CLP unit showed a kappa of 0.30. When analysing depression and delirium, the concordance showed Kappa = 0.46. Conclusions: Delirium is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder, but it is still underdiagnosed, with low diagnostic concordance between non-psychiatric doctors and psychiatrists from CLP units. There are multiple risk factors associated with the appearance of delirium, which must be managed to reduce its appearance.

The Emotional and Personal Experiences of the COVID-19 Illness During the Early Pandemic: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Several studies report the incidence of psychiatric symptoms and disorders among patients who recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); however, little is known about the emotional impact of acute COVID-19 illness and recovery on these survivors. Qualitative methods are ideal for understanding the psychological impact of a novel illness.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the emotional experience of the acute COVID-19 illness and recovery in patients who contracted the virus during the early months of the pandemic.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews conducted by consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatrists were used to elicit participant responses about the emotional impact of the acute and recovery phases of the COVID-19 illness. Participants recruited from the Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia area were interviewed which was audio recorded between June 2020 and December 2020. The research team extracted qualitative themes from the recordings using the principles of thematic analysis.

RESULTS

One hundred and one COVID-19 survivors (54 women; mean [SD] age, 50 [14.7] years) were interviewed at a mean of 5.16 months after their acute illness, and their responses were audio-recorded. Most participants were White (77%), non-Hispanic/Latino (86.1%), and not hospitalized for COVID-19 (87.1%). Coders identified 26 themes from participant responses. The most frequently coded themes included anxiety/worry (49), uncertainty (37), supportfrom others (35), alone/isolation (32), and positive reframe/positive emotions (32).

CONCLUSIONS

Survivors who contracted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 during the early months of the pandemic described both negative and positive valence emotions. They experienced emotional distress and psychosocial stressors associated with the acute illness and recovery but also drew upon personal resiliency to cope. This report highlights the utility of qualitative research methods in identifying emotional responses to a novel illness that may otherwise go unnoted. Consultation-liaison psychiatrists may be uniquely positioned to work in collaboration with medical colleagues in developing a multidimensional approach to evaluating an emerging illness.

Proactive psychological and psychiatric support of patients with chronic non-communicable diseases in a randomised trial: a Ukrainian experience

Background

Presently, approaches for the early treatment of pathological anxiety in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases are lacking, thus delaying the initiation of symptom management at the early onset of the illness. Proactive psychological and psychiatric support, to alleviate subclinical symptoms of anxiety and to improve the quality of life in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases, is a promising candidate for the role of such therapy.

Aims

To investigate and determine the effectiveness of proactive psychological and psychiatric support for alleviating subclinical symptoms of anxiety and improving quality of life, in patients with chronic non-communicable diseases.

Methods

The study design was a monocentric randomised controlled trial with parallel groups. The study, involving 193 inpatients with chronic non-communicable diseases, complied with the ethical and deontological norms in accordance with the principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki. Instruments used in the study included the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) to assess subclinical symptoms, the Scale of Somatic Symptoms and the Chaban Quality of Life Scale. Block randomisation was used to randomise patients to a 2-month-long study group with a proactive counselling psychiatry model care or a control group with standard regulated treatment for chronic non-communicable diseases. The allocation ratio was 1.15:1 owing to the expectancy of a higher percentage of dropout in the intervention group.

Results

After 60 days of treatment (T2), there was a statistically significant difference in all clinical parameters between the study and control groups. The median HAM-A value differed between the groups by 4.87 points, with statistically significant lower results in the study group. The comparison of the study group's scale values on day 1 and day 60 demonstrated statistically significant changes in all three indicators.

Conclusions

Our results support existing evidence for the effectiveness of proactive psychological and psychiatric support to reduce subclinical anxiety and somatisation symptoms and to improve the quality of life for patients with common chronic non-communicable diseases. However, continued research on the effectiveness of proactive psychological and psychiatric support for patients with chronic non-communicable diseases is needed.

Early liaison psychiatry consultations and general hospital readmission: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Readmission rates are under growing scrutiny as an indicator of quality of care as much as a potential source of savings. Patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions are more likely to be readmitted, so Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) may play a role in lowering readmission rates.

METHOD

In this retrospective cohort study conducted in a general hospital in Paris, France, all consecutive adult inpatients referred for the first time to CLP from January 2008 to December 2016, were included. The main outcomes were 30-day and 7-day readmissions in the same hospital, excluding iterative and planned stays. The objective of this study is to determine whether the timing of psychiatric consultations is associated with 30-day and 7-day readmission rates.

RESULTS

A total of 4498 inpatients (2298(51·1%) women, age = 59·8(±19·3) years) were referred to CLP. Adjusting for age, sex, place of residence, year of admission, type of ward, psychiatric diagnosis and disease severity, later consultation was associated with higher 30-day and 7-day readmission rates (adjusted Odds Ratio [95% confidence interval]:1.21[1·10-1·33] and 1·26[1·11-3·13], respectively). Further adjusting for length of stay, the association remained significant for 7-day readmission (1.28[1·05-1·57]). After stratification on the length of stay, for stays in the highest tercile (i.e., >21 days) an intervention after day 3 (versus before) was associated with 30-day and 7-day readmission rates of 15·8% versus 8·6%(1·81 [1·11-3·13]) and 4·9% versus 1·8%(2·98[1·16-9·88]), respectively.

CONCLUSION

Earlier psychiatric consultation was associated with fewer 30-day and 7-day readmissions. Interventional studies are needed to show that proactive CLP teams could help general hospitals to improve quality of care and make significant economic savings.

Changes of consultation-liaison psychiatry practice in Italian general hospitals: A comparative 20-year multicenter study

INTRODUCTION

Conducted under the auspices of the Italian Society of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (SIPC) the aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) activity in Italy (SIPC-2-2018) over the past 20 years by comparing with data from the first Italian nation-wide study (SIPC-1-1998).

METHODS

We collected data on CLP visits of 3,943 patients from 10 Italian hospitals over a period of 1 year. Data were compared with those from the SIPC-1 1998 study (4,183 participants). Patients were assessed with the same ad hoc 60-item Patient Registration Form recording information from five different areas: Sociodemographic, hospitalization-related, consultation-related, interventions and outcome.

RESULTS

Compared with participants from the previous study, SIPC-2-2018 participants were significantly older (d = 0.54) and hospitalized for a longer duration (d = 0.20). The current study detected an increase in the proportion of referrals from surgical wards and for individuals affected by onco-hematologic diseases. Depressive disorders still represented the most frequent psychiatric diagnosis, followed by adjustment and stress disorders and delirium/dementia. Also, CLP psychiatrists prescribed more often antidepressants (Φ = 0.13), antipsychotics (Φ = 0.09), mood stabilizers (Φ = 0.24), and less often benzodiazepines (Φ = 0.07).

CONCLUSION

CLP workload has increased considerably in the past 20 years in Italy, with changes in patient demographic and clinical characteristics. A trend toward increase in medication-based patient management was observed. These findings suggest that the psychiatric needs of patients admitted to the general hospital are more frequently addressed by referring physicians, although Italian CLP services still deserve better organization and autonomy.

Proactive Integration of Mental Health Care in Hospital Medicine: PRIME Medicine

BACKGROUND

Proactive consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry has been shown to reduce hospital length of stay (LOS), increase psychiatric C-L consult rate, and improve hospital staff satisfaction. Nursing attrition has not been studied in relation to proactive C-L.

OBJECTIVE

Our primary aim in evaluating the proactive C-L service called Proactive Integration of Mental Health Care in Medicine (PRIME Medicine) is to analyze change in LOS over 10 months using historical and contemporary comparison cohorts. As secondary aims, we assess change in psychiatric consultation rate, time to consultation, and change in nurse attrition.

METHODS

PRIME Medicine was implemented in 3 hospital medicine units as a quality-improvement project. Team members systematically screened patients arriving to assigned units for psychiatric comorbidity. Identified patients were reviewed with hospitalist teams and nurses with the goal of early intervention.

RESULTS

Including historical and contemporary comparison cohorts, the mean sample age was 62.4 years (n = 8884). Absolute LOS was unchanged, but difference-in-difference analysis trended toward reduced LOS by 0.16 day (P = 0.08). Consultation rate increased from 1.6% (40 consults) to 7.4% (176 consults). Time to consultation was unchanged (4.0-3.8 d). Annual per-unit nursing turnover increased from 4.7 to 5.7 in PRIME units but from 8.5 to 12.0 in comparison units. Nurses citing "population" as the reason for leaving decreased from 2.7 to 1.7 in PRIME units but increased from 1.5 to 4.5 in comparison units. PRIME Medicine led to increased consultation rate, and our unit-wide outcomes provide a conservative estimate of effect. Factors that may have influenced effect size include our cohort's advanced age, considerable emergency department boarding times, increasing proportion of patients discharged to skilled nursing facilities, and concurrent LOS-reduction initiatives on all units. The favorable trends in nursing attrition on PRIME units may be explained in part by our prior finding that PRIME Medicine was associated with enhanced nursing satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

While PRIME Medicine had no more than a modest effect on LOS, it was associated with a markedly increased psychiatric consult rate and favorable trends in nursing retention. This analysis highlights important factors that should be considered when implementing and determining value metrics for a proactive C-L service.