Implementation of a psychiatric consultation service - A single-site observational study over a 1-year-period

This study describes changes in consultation process variables and referral patterns after implementation of a psychiatric consultation service at a u niversity hospital in Germany. Two hundred eighty consecutive medical-surgi cal inpatient referrals for psychiatric consultation during a I year period were documented prospectively with a structured database. Changes took pla ce in referral patterns and in psychiatric interventions and recommendation s but not in psychiatric diagnoses. In addition, information is given on ps ychiatric and psychosomatic consultation service delivery in Germany.