Interrater reliability of scores derived from two methods for scoring the clock drawing test.

Scores on the Clock Drawing Test have long been considered a useful screening tool for neuropsychological dysfunction, and a number of scoring methods have been developed to evaluate various aspects of performance. This study compared quantitative and qualitative scoring by briefly trained students on 145 clock drawings produced by patients in a geriatric psychiatry outpatient clinic to estimate the interrater reliability of the methods, user's acceptance of the methods, and whether the methods provide differential diagnosis. Both systems showed acceptable interrater reliability.

Social isolation, impulsivity and depression as predictors of aggression in a psychiatric inpatient population.

Aggressive behavior among psychiatric inpatients remains an issue of concern for staff, families and patients themselves. At the present time, studies examining prediction of aggression among psychiatric inpatients have focused mainly on diagnostic or demographic risk factors. Unfortunately little is known about specific social functioning and personality risk factors that may help identify specific individuals at risk for aggressive behavior.

Ratings of early major depressive disorder symptom change during a brief psychiatric hospitalization.

Ratings of change in MDD severity during a brief psychiatric hospitalization were examined across informant sources to determine the extent of change from admission to discharge and if specific symptoms are especially likely to change. Study participants were 137 inpatients with a primary diagnosis of MDD. Symptom data were collected at admission and discharge from attending psychiatrists, nurses, and patients.

Role of a medical staff coding committee in documentation, coding, and billing compliance.

Physician documentation, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coding, and compliance with federal billing regulations are essential given the government's significant efforts to address fraud and abuse and the grave financial and legal consequences of noncompliance. Because Medicare guidelines do not focus substantially on psychiatric care, compliance is especially challenging for psychiatrists and psychiatric centers. Four years ago, the University of Texas-Harris County Psychiatric Center formed a medical staff coding committee to assist the center and its psychiatrists in dealing with compliance issues.