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The impact of a child psychiatry liaison service on patterns of referral
A McFadyen1, G Broster, D Black
1Child and Family Department, Tavistock Clinic, London.
Insights
Child psychiatry liaison referrals significantly increased after service reorganization. This rise contrasts with overall referral numbers and cases of self-harm, indicating a shift in service utilization.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Pediatric Liaison Services
- Healthcare Service Reorganization
Background:
- Child psychiatry liaison services play a crucial role in integrated pediatric care.
- Understanding referral patterns is essential for optimizing service delivery.
- Service reorganization aimed to improve efficiency and impact.
Abstract:
A retrospective study of referrals to a child psychiatry liaison service was carried out in order to assess the impact of the reorganisation of the service. A total of 55% of referrals were of in-patients on the paediatric ward; other in-patients made up 12.5%. Of all referrals, 67% were from paediatricians. Of the children who had not harmed themselves, most were referred either for help with the management of physical illness or for investigation of a non-organic physical complaint. The main finding was that liaison referrals increased significantly in contrast to both the total number of referrals and the number of cases of deliberate self-harm.