PubMed · 1413205
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M Mellergård. 1992-09-28. [Good will].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1413205/
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OBJECTIVE: To pilot a method of assessing psychological care by general practitioners. DESIGN: Prospective examination of psychological care given in general practice by using general health questionnaire with predetermined quantifiable and case specific indices of outcome established at the original consultation. SETTING: Rural general practice in Clwyd, North Wales. SUBJECTS: 447 consecutive adult general practice attenders. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Three month follow up consultation rates, one year retrospective consultation rates, continuity of care, changes in general health questionnaire scores at follow up, general satisfaction, and acceptability of outcome measures. RESULTS: The principal and trainee identified 72 patients with psychological problems, 46 of whom had new conditions. 133 patients scored over 6 on the 28 item general health questionnaire, 33 of whom were identified as new cases by the general practitioners. 62 patients were seen at follow up, including 23 patients identified by the questionnaire but not by the doctor. The doctors used diagnostic terms to describe the presenting condition in 38 cases. At three month follow up the general health questionnaire scores had fallen by more than 5 points in 22/39 patients identified and managed by doctors and 11/23 identified by the questionnaire. The agreed index of good outcome was almost or completely achieved by 20 of the 39 patients managed by doctors. CONCLUSION: Quantifiable methods of evaluating the quality of the structure, process, and outcome of psychological care can be achieved in general practice.
OBJECTIVE: To identify patients who could not be resettled in the community as part of the closure plans of two psychiatric hospitals and to determine their numbers and risk factors for failure. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prospective study of the closure of Friern and Claybury psychiatric hospitals. PATIENTS: The first third (369) of long stay psychiatric patients to be resettled. OUTCOME MEASURES: Reasons for patients being readmitted to hospital and not leaving the patients' service needs. RESULTS: 22--6% of both hospitals' long stay patients--were not successfully resettled in the community. Eighteen continuing care places per 100,000 of catchment area population seem to be required for this group. Patients whose placements were unsuccessful were usually readmitted because of a deterioration of their mental state and aggressive behaviour, both of which persisted and necessitated their continuing stay in hospital, often in a locked ward. Risk factors associated with failure were a high level of psychosis; a diagnosis of paranoid psychosis; incontinence; and being male. But having a social network, especially a large one, seemed to aid successful placement in the community. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation efforts should be focused on the characteristics of these patients that put them at risk of failing to succeed in community placements.
During the past 20 years, the "case manager" has become a central expression in district psychiatry in USA. The case manager is a person who has the main responsibility for coordination and to a varying extent granting of the district psychiatric contributions to persons with prolonged psychoses. This function was introduced because the previous system with many administrative and physically separate offers appeared to be uncoordinated, mutually competitive and ineffective. The case manager acts as a supplementary "ego" for the patient on his own terms and has an active supportive function. Whereas, coordination was previously the central task, it became considered to an increasing extent more suitable that a multidisciplinary team of case managers supply the district psychiatric therapy themselves. Investigations reveal that the results are just as good or even better than those of the previous combination of hospitalization and outpatient treatment and that the patients are more satisfied. Many hospitalizations can be avoided but the employment of resources is probably not reduced on account of expenses for the case manager function and housing. The number of patients per case manager varies between four and 50, depending on the therapeutic needs of the patient group and, in particular, the tasks which the case manager must perform (all over the treatment or coordination of treatment administered by others). On account of the close contact by the case manager and his supportive activity, there are reasons for particular attention to ethical problems concerning personal choice and exchange of information. Utilization of the American experience with case managers is recommended simultaneously with avoidance of administrative practical splitting of district psychiatry which would make the total therapy ineffective.