Communication Between Secondary and Primary Care After Self-Harm
Author Information
Author(s): Jayne Cooper, Elizabeth Murphy, Rita Jordan, Kevin Mackway-Jones
Primary Institution: University of Manchester
Hypothesis
Are NICE guidelines being met in the communication between secondary and primary care following self-harm incidents?
Conclusion
Government guidelines are only partially being met, with significant gaps in communication from ED staff to primary care.
Supporting Evidence
- 62% of self-harm episodes were communicated to primary care.
- 58% of communications were made within 24 hours.
- ED clinicians provided few communications and were of limited content.
- Communication with the patient's GP was not made in half of the cases seen by a mental health specialist.
Takeaway
When people hurt themselves and go to the hospital, doctors need to tell their regular doctors what happened, but they often forget to do this.
Methodology
An audit of medical records on self-harm patients aged 16 and over was performed over a 4-week period at a general teaching hospital.
Potential Biases
Reliance on ED staff for communication may lead to incomplete information being passed to GPs.
Limitations
The study's external validity is limited to urban EDs with similar service provisions.
Participant Demographics
40% male, 60% female, aged between 16–73 years.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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