I Uribé | PubMed Health

PubMed1996

Estimating local-area needs for psychiatric care: a case study.

BACKGROUND: Different approaches to estimating local catchment-area needs for psychiatric services are illustrated and compared. METHOD: Data from an epidemiological morbidity survey of a random sample of 496 adults were available, as were actual service utilisation rates. Four types of utilisation were modelled (i.e. overall, out-patient, in-patient, emergency clinic) using social indicators available from Statistics Canada census-tract data. Finally, a case-control study compared out-patients from a deprived and an affluent catchment area, matched case by case for primary diagnosis, age, sex and residential status (n = 52). RESULTS: Modelling proved highly predictive of utilisation, the overall-use model accounting for 73% of the variance. The case-control study indicated a higher rate of Axis II traits, substance abuse and needs for social care in the deprived catchment area. CONCLUSIONS: Resource allocation based on the social indicators modelling method was more consistent with sensible distribution of human resources. None of the methods, however, appear to reflect adequately the severity of caseloads evidenced in the case-control study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

[Analysis of the medical and psychosocial evaluations required by the new public curator law].

The new Public Curator Act systematically requires medical and psychosocial evaluations. In confronting the letter and the spirit of the law to its regulations and operating procedures (and inversely), this article outlines the various tasks that will fall under the responsibility of health and social service professionals. Following a brief presentation of the law, the authors describe how the role of these professionals is limited to evaluations for the purpose of conducting expert appraisements, a matter which raises a great deal of concern. In addition, the two key notions of "inaptitude" and "need" are discussed in their legal sense, along with their consequences from the medical evaluation and psychosocial standpoints. The latter in particular will be analyzed regarding implementation difficulties. The authors conclude with a general commentary that is likely to give meaning to that simple and sometimes routine gesture consisting of "completing a form".

Adult↗