Patterns of Psychiatric Consultation in Two General Hospitals

Abstract

The data presented in this paper reflect five years' experience of the Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service in two general hospitals of a large medical teaching center. The frequency of consultations shows that the more liaison time spent teaching on the wards, the more consultations generated. The decrease in consultations observed over the course of the academic year may indicate that the nonpsychiatric house staff which has a liaison with psychiatry becomes more competent in handling cases with psychiatric problems. Liaison psychiatry provides the most varied training experience possible for the psychiatric resident, making him more conscious of the interrelationships between psychiatry and other clinical specialties.