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Psychiatric cases: an ethnography of the referral process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

David Morgan
David Morgan*
Affiliation:
Health Services Research Unit, University of Kent, Canterbury
*
1Address for correspondence: David Morgan, Keynes College, The University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NP.
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Synopsis

Investigation into the referral histories of a consecutive series of new patients attending two psychiatric out-patient clinics questioned the assumption that only the more severe and problematic cases are selected by general practitioners for specialist referral. In 40% of cases, clinical indications only became decisive in relation to emergent difficulties in managing the case, while 38% of patients or their relatives requested referral. The implications of these observations are considered in relation to alternative models of psychiatric intervention in the management of psychosocial disorders in primary care.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 19 , Issue 3 , August 1989 , pp. 743 - 753
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

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