Timing of referral to a consultation-liaison psychiatry unit

This study examined ways of determining a useful measure of the timing of referral to a consultation-liaison psychiatry unit. Seven hundred and twelve consecutive inpatient referrals between February 1990 and January 1995 were studied prospectively. Usage of a simple mathematical ratio of the time elapsed between admission and referral and length of stay was shown to be independent of the patient's length of stay when this was greater than 4 days and thus is a more useful way of measuring timing than is the time elapsed between admission and referral. By using this measure, the authors found that a diagnosis of personality disorder predicted earlier referral, and depression cited as a reason for referral by the consultees predicted later referral. Independent of length of stay, the early referred patients had more time spent with them by the consultation-liaison unit.