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Our up-to-date research shows that Australians can wait at least 258 days for their first psychiatric meeting
Feb
Anyone who has to make an appointment at the first meeting with a psychiatrist can expect some waiting. Our new research It shows that Australians are waiting on average 77 days for this initial meeting. But some waited for at least eight months.
We also showed that people have been waiting longer for these meetings over the past decade, especially in regional and distant areas. And the teeth did not reduce this difference in the country.
Our study is the first of its kind to look at the national photo of waiting times for the first meeting with a psychiatrist. This is why our discoveries are so disturbing.
What we did
We analyzed the data from the Medicare service schedule in 2011–2022. This allowed us to analyze trends during waiting without accessing medical records of individual patients.
. A specific set of data we used He allowed us to look at the time from referring the general doctor to the first meeting with a private psychiatrist.
The first meeting with a psychiatrist is crucial because it can lead to an official diagnosis, if there is no one or transform future treatment options, including medicines or admission to the hospital. Depending on the situation, treatment may start immediately and then undergo review at subsequent meetings. However, with a delayed initial meeting there is a risk of delayed diagnosis and treatment, and the symptoms deteriorate.
We focused at the time of waiting for the initial outpatient meetings with a private psychiatrist and looked at the time of waiting separately and teens.
We did not take into account the waiting times to see psychiatrists in public hospitals. And we could not see what psychiatric visits were and how urgent it was for the patient to see a psychiatrist in a brief time.
What we found
We discovered that the waiting time for the first psychiatric visit after referring the family doctor has increased during the last decade, especially from 2020. In 2011, the average waiting time was 51 days, increased to 77 days to 2022.
Waiting times differed significantly between patients. For example, in 2022, 25% of waiting times for a personal meeting were less than ten days. But 95% of waiting times were less than 258 days. This means that the longest waiting times were over 258 days.
In the case of Terade Services in 2022, equivalent waiting times ranged from 11 to 235 days.
Waiting times also differed depending on the location. People in regional and distant areas consistently had longer waiting times than people living in gigantic cities, both for personal services and teens.
The discrepancy remained over time, except for personal services in the early years of Covid pandemic. It was then that rural areas in Australia had fewer blockades and less stringent movement restrictions compared to the main cities.
Why did the teeth not assist?
Our study did not apply to the reasons for increasing the waiting time. However, longer expectations do not seem to be caused by increased demand, given that the total number of visits did not augment. For example, we showed that the total number of visits combined in person and teeth the first meetings was 108 630 in 2020, 111 718 in 2021 and 104 214 in 2022.
But what about the meaning? It was widely advertised as Boon for regional and remote AustraliansBecause it allows them to access psychiatric services without the time and costs of having to travel over long distances.
Telehealth started in 2020 because of Covid. In the years 2011–2019 there were 2066 first psychiatric visits, increased to 12,860 in 2020, but in 2022 it was 27 527.
However, we found that the number of teeth visits balanced the number of visits face to face, and the total visits remained stable in recent years. Since the teeth still takes the time of psychiatrists, it did not assist to shorten the waiting time.
What are the implications?
The national growth of waiting times over the past decade is particularly about high risk patients with severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia, severe depression and bipolar disorder. Any delays in the treatment of these patients can cause significant damage to them and others in their communities.
Our results also appear during increased pressure on mental health services, including:
Now, more than ever, we must pay attention to the access and distribution of psychiatric services in Australia.
If this article has raised problems for you or you are worried about someone you know, call Lifeline to number 13 11 14.
