Data collection in consultation-liaison psychiatry: an evaluation of Casemix.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the usefulness of Casemix as a data collection system for consultation-liaison psychiatry services. METHOD Health information staff were requested to code psychiatric assessments and diagnosis prospectively for admissions to the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, between July 2002 and June 2004 using Casemix. RESULTS Psychiatric assessments were requested on 2.5% of all hospital admissions (n = 2575). Casemix provided extensive demographic and hospital unit data for referred patients, is easy to set up, and is cost-free for the psychiatry service. CONCLUSIONS Casemix can provide extensive meaningful data for consultation-liaison psychiatry services that could assist in the argument for greater funding of these services.