Abstract

Aims and methodA postal survey of 81 general practitioners (GPs) who were Involved in lithium monitoring was undertaken, to compare their views on lithium therapy with their monitoring practice, and with the practice of psychiatrists.ResultsForty-seven replied (response rate 50.6%). There was considerable variation in GP knowledge of lithium therapy. GPs made fewer requests but wanted more information.Clinical implicationsWritten reminders and information on lithium would be useful to GPs.

Highlights

  • Our study evaluated the policies of local general practitioners (GPs) who had requested lithium measurements over a one-year period

  • All requests for lithium levels from 1 September 1994 to 31 August 1995 were obtained from records in the clinical pathology department. This provided the name, age, source of request, date and serum lithium estimation for each request. Those patients on whom a GP had requested a lithium level were screened to see if they had been known to the Department of Psychiatry since the setting up of a database in April 1992

  • Eighty-one GPs were identified as requesting lithium levels on people that were not known to the service

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Summary

The study

All requests for lithium levels from 1 September 1994 to 31 August 1995 were obtained from records in the clinical pathology department. This provided the name, age, source of request, date and serum lithium estimation for each request. Those patients on whom a GP had requested a lithium level were screened to see if they had been known to the Department of Psychiatry since the setting up of a database in April 1992. A postal questionnaire was sent to these practitioners informing them of the date and the name of patient on whom they had requested a serum lithium level, and asking the following questions. (f) How do you feel about managing patients on lithium and would you like a psychia trist to always be involved?

Findings
Analysis of data
Monitoring lithium treatment
Results

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