Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist, Mersey Care NHS Trust, UK.
Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011 Dec;26(12):1231-5. doi: 10.1002/gps.2667. Epub 2011 Feb 9.
To compare the rate of referrals of older people for consultation-liaison psychiatry services over time within Liverpool and with the literature.
All referrals to the liaison psychiatry service for older people in Liverpool between 1999 and 2004 were used to calculate referral rates and compared with data from the same hospital from 1981 to 1989 previously published. Data related to referral rates was extracted from other published studies to allow cross-national comparisons over time.
Between 1999 and 2004 there were 2760 referrals to the Liverpool liaison psychiatry service for older people producing an average annual referral rate of 2.89%. This compares to a referral rate of 0.7% in 1981 and 1.34% in 1989. Comparison with studies from the UK, North America, Europe, Singapore and Taiwan shows an increasing trend across a 30 year period. The rate of referral increases with increasing age up to age 90.
Trends indicate increasing rates of referral of older people to consultation-liaison psychiatry services with greater representation of the older old. Similar effects are likely to be experienced in all nations with an ageing population. Liaison psychiatry services will need professionals trained in old age psychiatry if the needs of this increasing elderly population are to be addressed.
比较利物浦老年患者联络精神病学服务的转诊率随时间的变化，并与文献进行比较。
使用 1999 年至 2004 年间所有转介到利物浦老年联络精神病学服务的患者来计算转诊率，并与之前发表的 1981 年至 1989 年同一医院的数据进行比较。从其他已发表的研究中提取与转诊率相关的数据，以允许跨国比较随时间的变化。
1999 年至 2004 年间，共有 2760 例患者转介到利物浦老年联络精神病学服务，平均每年转诊率为 2.89%。这与 1981 年的 0.7%和 1989 年的 1.34%相比有所增加。与来自英国、北美、欧洲、新加坡和中国台湾的研究进行比较，在 30 年的时间内呈现出上升趋势。转诊率随着年龄的增加而增加，直到 90 岁。
趋势表明，转介到联络精神病学服务的老年患者比例不断增加，其中更年长的老年人比例增加。人口老龄化的所有国家都可能出现类似的影响。如果要满足这一不断增长的老年人群的需求，联络精神病学服务将需要接受老年精神病学培训的专业人员。
