USE OF A PSYCHIATRIC PROFORMA FOR ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY OFFICERS

Objective-To devise a proforma for clinical documentation of psychiatr ic illness in an accident and emergency (A&E) department, since A&E se nior house officers (SHOs) have little psychiatric experience before s tarting their jobs. Methods-History taking and mental state examinatio ns by 16 SHOs were compared before (n = 50) and after (n = 50) the int roduction of the proforma. Comments on the proforma were provided by a ll participants on a questionnaire. Results-There was an improvement i n documentation with the use of the proforma (Mann-Whitney U test, P < 0.001). The senior house officers found the proforma useful and suppo rted further development of this initiative. Conclusions-A standard fo rm for documenting psychiatric history, designed according to local ne eds, is useful and should be available in A&E departments.