[Referral to psychiatric hospital - which informations are necessary?].

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to investigate the relative importance of information provided by referral letters to in-patient psychiatric care from the clinicians' point of view.

METHODS

The estimation of psychiatric hospital physicians (n = 32) was assessed by questionnaire comprising 21 Items in 4-step Likert-type scales.

RESULTS

As indispensable information are valued details about actual medications, suicidality/aggression, presenting problem, reason for referral, drug intolerance, and somatic disorders. Details concerning guardianship, previous therapy, substance misuse, relatives' telephone number, prior investigations, psychiatric diagnosis, and previous examination findings are assessed very important.

CONCLUSIONS

The mentioned details of referral letter are important within all medicine disciplines to ensure continuous care and to avoid time- and cost-intensive double diagnostics and therapy.