Urgent adolescent psychiatric consultation: from the accident and emergency department to inpatient adolescent psychiatry

Abstract

The Rapid Response Model (RRM) provides psychiatric services to children and adolescents seen at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department or at the Urgent Consultation Clinic of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division the next day. In a naturally occurring experiment, the RRM was introduced, withdrawn and restarted. When RRM was withdrawn at one site, it was implemented at another. The RRM reduced nighttime Emergency Consultations and inpatient admissions from A&E, while it increased daytime consultations and daytime admissions. The RRM provided timely, organized emergency psychiatric services. A&E staff expressed satisfaction with the service.