A 3-Year Retrospective Study of the Impact of Integrating an Addiction Liaison Team into an Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment Programme

BACKGROUND

The number of inpatients with alcohol and other substance-related problems (ASRP) in the general hospital population at any time is vast. To meet the needs of those patients, most hospitals have an Addiction Liaison Team (ALT) that diagnoses and initiates the treatment of the addictive disorder. In our hospital, this team is part of a more extensive and intensive Outpatient Alcoholism Treatment Programme that facilitates the continuity of care.

AIM

the main goal of this study is to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our inpatient ALT.

METHODOLOGY

we carried out an observational cohort study of patients with ASRP admitted to the hospital from 2015 to 2017. We evaluated the performance and effectiveness of our ALT: referrals to the programme, inpatients mortality, readmissions to hospital, hospital length of stay (LOS) and medical or surgical treatment adherence.

RESULTS

out of 133,181 admissions, 17,387 (13.14%) were positive for ASRP, and 615 (3.54%) were referred to the ALT. Referred patients had less in-hospital mortality, shorter LOS and lower risk of readmissions during the first year of follow-up. Subjects treated in the programme had better therapeutic adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

integrating the ALT into an outpatient programme facilitates an earlier detection and initiation of treatment during the hospital stay and the continuity of care. Alcohol misuse conditions affect the patient's prognosis and health outcomes, so appropriate care is needed. Inclusion in the programme was associated with less risk of hospital mortality, fewer readmissions and a lower LOS.

Organisation and delivery of liaison psychiatry services in general hospitals in England: results of a national survey

OBJECTIVES

To describe the current provision of hospital-based liaison psychiatry services in England, and to determine different models of liaison service that are currently operating in England.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional observational study comprising an electronic survey followed by targeted telephone interviews.

SETTING

All 179 acute hospitals with an emergency department in England.

PARTICIPANTS

168 hospitals that had a liaison psychiatry service completed an electronic survey. Telephone interviews were conducted for 57 hospitals that reported specialist liaison services additional to provision for acute care.

MEASURES

Data included the location, service structures and staffing, working practices, relations with other mental health service providers, policies such as response times and funding. Model 2-based clustering was used to characterise the services. Telephone interviews identified the range of additional liaison psychiatry services provided.

RESULTS

Most hospitals (141, 79%) reported a 7-day service responding to acute referrals from the emergency department and wards. However, under half of hospitals had 24 hours access to the service (78, 44%). One-third of hospitals (57, 32%) provided non-acute liaison work including outpatient clinics and links to specialist hospital services. 156 hospitals (87%) had a multidisciplinary service including a psychiatrist and mental health nurses. We derived a four-cluster model of liaison psychiatry using variables resulting from the electronic survey; the salient features of clusters were staffing numbers, especially nursing; provision of rapid response 24 hours 7-day acute services; offering outpatient and other non-acute work, and containing age-specific teams for older adults.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the most comprehensive study to date of liaison psychiatry in England and demonstrates the wide availability of such services nationally. Although all services provide an acute assessment function, there is no uniformity about hours of coverage or expectation of response times. Most services were better characterised by the model we developed than by current classification systems for liaison psychiatry.

Diamonds in the coalface: new research in consultation-liaison psychiatry

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Consultation-liaison psychiatry deals with patients who manifest both psychological and somatic symptoms and involves a close and collaborative interaction with other medical specialities. While it is a clinically rich area, resource constraints and service requirements have meant that it has perhaps contributed a little below its weight in academic terms. This review, although far from exhaustive, seeks to present some themes of recent research in this fascinating discipline.

RECENT FINDINGS

The need to demonstrate the utility, and ensure the funding, of a service that is all too often regarded as 'non-core' by both mental health services and general hospitals remains constant. Useful work is being done in streamlining data collection, accurately measuring disability and improving outcomes for these complex and resource-intensive patients. Recent reviews have helped to clarify our understanding of medication-induced depression, the treatment options in self-harm, the place of psychosocial interventions in oncology, and the relationship between depression and heart disease among other areas.

SUMMARY

Consultation-liaison psychiatry is a fascinating and underresearched field. Important work remains to be done in service delivery, diagnosis, treatment and outcome, as well as medical ethics and systems research. Although our knowledge is progressing, many existing studies are underpowered and multisite collaborations are necessary. Our patients carry an enormous burden of ill health and require the services of skilled clinicians, advocates and treatment brokers.