[Organic disease among patients at an open psychiatric outpatient clinic].

All of the new consultations in the Copenhagen Municipal psychiatric outpatient department during a period of three month were registered. Out of these, 1,149 did not lead to admission of the patient. In 47% of these information about somatic condition was available and in 31% information about somatic disease was present. Were 21% of the 1,149 patients were concerned, there were indications for treatment of the somatic disease. 50% of these were treated by the medical staff of the department, 17% were treated in other psychiatric departments, 21% were treated in departments for somatic disease and 11% were referred to their general practitioners or practising specialists for further treatment. These findings emphasize the importance of medical referral in an open psychiatric clinic with direct therapeutic contact.