APM TASK-FORCE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS IN THE GENERAL-HOSPITAL INPATIENT SETTING - A REVIEW OF COST-OFFSET STUDIES

Several investigations of interventions with psychiatric and medical c omorbidity (CM) in the medical inpatient setting have been reported. T hese studies include psychiatric liaison screening and interventions, psychosocial screening, and standard consultation. The studies had a v ariety of outcome variables: 1) altered psychiatric morbidity; 2) lag time to identification of CM; 3) lag time to referring to mental healt h disciplines; 4) cost offset; and 5) discharge placement. Methodologi cal and design problems confound many of the results, in particular, t he lack of random control procedures. However, similarity of findings of the frequency of CM in the inpatient setting and patient response t o early detection and treatment should stimulate further research into the effects of psychiatric interventions in the acute inpatient medic al setting.