Problems in monitoring needs for care of long term psychiatric patients: Evaluating a service for casual attenders

It is recommended that standardised case records should be maintained on long term casual attenders that are based on systematic and regular assessments in order to minimise unmet need in this difficult subgroup of patients.

Abstract

The effectiveness of a dispersed, community psychiatric service may be crucially dependent upon the quality of the information recorded on its clients. Thirty-three Camberwell residents were identified who had refused normal out-patient or day-patient care but who had made at least quarterly drop-in visits to a psychiatric ward or day hospital during a one year period. Key staff members were interviewed and case records examined in order to identify clinical and social problems and care being provided. Case records were often uninformative and much basic information was also not known to staff. Available information revealed a number of problems for which appropriate care was not being provided (unmet need). It is recommended that standardised case records should be maintained on long term casual attenders that are based on systematic and regular assessments in order to minimise unmet need in this difficult subgroup of patients.