Comparison between patients who did not show up for their first visit and the ones who did

Abstract

IntroductionReferrals to psychiatry from primary care has increased in recent years. This can be the result of the global economic situation and represents a problem for specialized care, because patients can’t usually be correctly attended to. On the other hand, patients who don’t come to visits make up other important issues that we must analyze.ObjectivesTo analyze the differences between patients who did not come for their first visit and those who did in order to try to describe variables that could be affecting them.MethodsThis is an epidemiological, analytic, prospective study of patients referred to our department. The following variables were collected: (1) referral protocol, (2) reason, (3) demographic data, (4) attendance to appointment, (5) diagnosis impression and (6) destination of referral. The SPSS 19.0 was used to analyze the data.ResultsWe studied a total of 1.048 patients for 15 months, of which 20.6% did not come to their first visit. A statistically significant relationship between attendance and gender, year of the appointment, adequate demand or not, previous follow-up and diagnosis was found (Chi2). However, if a logistic regression was carried out, only the adequacy of the demand was included in the model.ConclusionsCoordination with general practitioners is essential to improve referrals and, most importantly, the attention to patients. If we can agree on the referral criteria, a better-personalized assistance can be offered to patients who have more difficulties in coming (because of characteristics of illness, place of residence, and other variables).Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Análisis de la demanda de una consulta de Salud Mental coordinada con Atención Primaria

“…Tras este nuevo análisis observamos escasos cambios en cuanto a las variables demográficas respecto a estudios previos en nuestra área: los porcentajes se mantiene en el 60% mujeres y 40% hombres, disminuyendo la edad media a 48,41, siendo en análisis previos 48.66 (Mata et al, 2017c).…”

“…Al analizar la impresión diagnóstica observamos un aumento en los casos de Trastorno Adaptativo con un 29,3% cuando previamente eran el 24,4% de las derivaciones (Mata et al, 2017c), siendo este aumento mínimo en el resto de los porcentajes: 18,5% Trastorno Depresivo (antes 18,4%), 12,1% Trastorno de Ansiedad (antes 12,2%), 10,5% Trastornos mixtos (antes 8,4%) y 8,5% Trastornos de Personalidad (antes 7,9%) (Mata et al, 2017c). En el análisis por sexos se observa que el Trastorno Adaptativo es el más frecuente en ambos.…”

“…Como se ha indicado previamente, las discrepancias entre los diagnósticos emitidos por ambos especialistas favorecen tanto la medicalización y psiquiatrización de cuadros reactivos, como el infratratamiento de cuadros graves, apoyando la necesidad de la coordinación entre ambos servicios y la formación de los profesionales de AP con el objetivo de mejorar el abordaje de estos pacientes (Díaz, 2011;Mata et al, 2017a;Mata et al, 2017c;Mata et al, 2017d).…”

“…Tras estos resultados, quedaba claro que era necesario mejorar la comunicación entre AP y SM para conseguir dar la mejor atención posible a los pacientes en el Centro de Salud, en la USM o en el propio domicilio (Mata et al, 2017a;Mata et al, 2017c;Mata et al, 2017d).…”