Factors Related to Admissions to a Psychiatry Unit from a Medical Emergency Room: The Role of Social Work

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the factors associated with psychiatry hospital admissions from a medical emergency room and discuss the role of social work in relation to psychiatry referrals. There were three possible outcomes: admission to the hospital's medical/surgical unit; admission to a psychiatry unit; or non-admission. Social workers collected data based on patient demographics, resource problems, interventions, and dispositions for 3370 patients. Outcome data were denoted on scan sheets for each patient seen by a social worker. Most patients were not admitted (83.8%; n = 2832); almost 10% (n = 335) were admitted to the hospital's psychiatric unit; and 6.3% (n = 212) were admitted to the medical/surgical unit. Age, gender, “Adjustment problems,” and “Behavior problems” had statistically significant coefficients for medical/surgical admission. “Care/activities of daily living (ADL) problems,” “Relationship problems,” and “Environmental problems” had statistically significant coefficients for medical/surgical and psychiatric admission outcomes. The role of social workers in procuring and implementing dispositions is described with suggestions for future research.