Use of primary care services by chronically mentally ill patients

Abstract

To assess the impact of chronically mentally ill patients on the primary health care team, a case-control comparison of patient contact recorded in general practitioner notes was conducted in seven general practices within the catchment area of a community mental health centre over a 12-month period. Patients with chronic mental illness registered with the centre had more recorded total contact with the primary care team (median 12 vs 2 contacts) and more recorded face to face contact with their general practitioner (median 5 vs 1 contacts) than had controls (not in psychiatric care). Chronically mentally ill patients had been on their current practice list for a shorter period than controls (median 66 vs 154 months), and received more items of medication on repeat prescription (median 2 vs 0). Patients with chronic mental illness living outside hospital make greater demands on the primary health care team than patients not currently receiving specialist psychiatric care.