The benefits of a psychiatric consultation--liaison service in a general hospital.

Full Abstract

In this period of increased governmental regulation and decreased reimbursement for psychiatric services by third-party carriers, a fully staffed and financially stable psychiatric consultation-liaison service in the general hospital may still generate significant benefits for patients, hospital administrators, and psychiatrists: an increased rate of diagnosis of psychiatric and medical disorders, a reduction in the length of stay of medical or surgical patients, a decreased utilization of medical services and the development of innovative consultation-liaison activities. This article summarizes these benefits and outlines training obstacles that must be overcome to increase cooperation between psychiatry and medicine so that these benefits may be realized.

Author information

Author/s: Hales, R E (RE);

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: General hospital psychiatry (Gen Hosp Psychiatry), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 1985-Jul; vol 7 (issue 3) : pp 214-8

Dates: Created 1985/09/19; Completed 1985/09/19; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 4018577, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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