Jj. Strain et al., APM TASK-FORCE ON PSYCHOSOCIAL INTERVENTIONS IN THE GENERAL-HOSPITAL INPATIENT SETTING - A REVIEW OF COST-OFFSET STUDIES, Psychosomatics, 35(3), 1994, pp. 253-262
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.