A psychiatric consultation-liaison service in a community hospital

The development of a multidiscipline Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service in a 628 bed community hospital is outlined showing its organization and benefits. Specific aspects of the role of each discipline, as well as the process of functioning on a multidiscipline team, are discussed, emphasizing the roles of the psychiatric clinical nurse specialist and psychiatric occupational therapist. Data obtained from 623 patients seen over two years is presented, showing trends similar to other published studies. The effectiveness of the multidiscipline team in allowing the one psychiatrist to significantly increase the number of patients seen in the second year and to become more precise in using the specific skills of the psychiatrist and other team members at the highest possible level of expertise, to meet each type of patient need, is brought into focus.