Accuracy of Referring Psychiatric Diagnosis

Background: The author examined the accuracy of the initial psychiatric diagnosis of primary medical providers requesting psychiatric consultation in a medical inpatient setting in a university hospital.Methods: A retrospective review of 217 consecutive psychiatric consultations was conducted in which the initial diagnostic impression of primary medical providers was compared with the final psychiatric diagnosis. Results: The accuracy of psychiatric diagnosis was the highest for cognitive disorders 60%, followed by depression 50% and anxiety disorders 46%, whereas the accuracy of diagnosing psychosis was 0%. Conclusion: Thus, the accuracy of initial diagnoses made by primary medical providers is quite variable. Factors affecting these results are discussed.