INDIANAPOLIS AND BLOOMINGTON, IN — Nearly 45% of emergency room visits for physical injuries and illnesses also have often-overlooked mental health and substance use problems, according to a new study by researchers at Indiana University. It turns out that We also found that patients who reported high levels of suicidal ideation and plans were more likely to visit the emergency department more frequently.
Therefore, IU researchers extended previous research to use computerized adaptive tests to screen patients with complaints other than psychiatric complaints for mental health and We investigated whether it is a significant opportunity to screen for health problems.
Brian Donofriowith recent discoveries Published in the Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians, which is the most extensive study using multidomain mental health screening of nonpsychiatric patients in the emergency department. Known as the Computerized Adaptive Test-Mental Health, this test adjusts questions based on the respondent’s answers.
“Our findings are of great importance to healthcare companies and health economists. Brian Donofrio, the research principal investigator and professor of psychology and brain science at the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences. “People who make frequent emergency department visits are high-risk patients. is a very helpful place.”
Mental health screening, in addition to follow-up care, may reduce the need for future visits and reduce the burden on emergency departments.
To conduct the study, researchers tested randomly selected patients in an Indianapolis emergency department for five conditions: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidality, and substance use disorder. I have asked you to complete this computer-adapted test that screens for The goal of this study was to understand the prevalence of these problems using a sustainable screening process in the emergency departments of large cities, where physicians have competing and pressing concerns.
Of the 794 patients, the study showed that 24.1% had moderate to severe suicide risk, 8.3% had depression, 16.5% had anxiety, 12.3% had PTSD, and 20.4% had substance use disorders. I was. It also showed that those who had seen her at least two emergency department visits in the previous year were 62% more likely to be in the moderate-to-high suicide risk category compared to those who did not. . An individual who scored in the moderate to high risk group was 63% more likely to visit another emergency department within 30 days after an emergency department visit compared to the low risk group. I was.
Lauren O’reillyPast research has shown that many patients who die by suicide often visit emergency departments or access the health care system for non-psychiatric reasons shortly before attempting suicide.
The results of this study are consistent with standard screening tests, making computer-adapted testing a viable option for rapid mental health screening of large patient populations in the emergency department. suggests that It is also faster than other screening methods, making it more practical to use in busy environments.student Lauren O’reillyis a researcher in D’Onofrio’s lab whose current research is focused on suicide.
The researchers then said work is needed to understand the implications of this study. For example, how emergency departments integrate screening into their procedures, and how barriers to treating mental health conditions within and outside the emergency department setting are overcome.
“When emergency departments perform screening, it’s important to take steps after screening to ensure appropriate care, such as interventions, safety plans, or connecting with providers,” said O’Reilly. “This is a particularly big challenge given the global shortage of mental health care services.”
Paul MuseyThe study also opens new perspectives for improving the overall quality of emergency department care.
“We hope that these results will provide an opportunity to discuss, intervene and connect emergency department patients to appropriate care.” Paul Musey, senior author of this study and associate professor of emergency medicine at the IU School of Medicine. “The emergency department is the right place for everyone in crisis. We believe we have an obligation to do all we can to provide the necessary resources.”
This research was supported by a grant from IU’s Grand Challenge in Response to the Addiction Crisis.
