Criteria for a good referral system for psychiatric patients: the view from Saudi Arabia

The development and implementation of quality referral systems reflects sound national health planning. This review appraised the data on referral systems, in particular psychiatric referrals, with special reference to Saudi Arabia. A computer search was made of relevant literature in the past 2 decades. The rate and process of referring patients through referral letters varies globally across practice settings and is initiated by an array of factors linked with health consumers, health providers and delivery systems. Referral systems, including consultation-liaison services, are an essential component of any health care organization for offering a complete range of good quality, specialized health services

Psychiatric co-morbidity in primary care and hospital referrals, Saudi Arabia

Psychiatric and physical morbidities among patients referred from primary health care [PHC] centres and general hospitals [GH] in Al-Qassim region were compared. Thus, 540 psychiatric referrals [GH = 138; PHC = 402] were selected randomly. Fifteen GH patients but no PHC patients were referred for admission. Psychiatrists made more diagnoses of dementia, affective and anxiety disorders, mixed anxiety-depression and somatoform disorders than clinicians and general practitioners [GPs]. Clinicians made significantly more diagnoses of acute psychoses and somatoform disorders than GPs. Physical morbidity was noted in 38.4% and 17.2% of GH and PHC referrals respectively