We are trying to set a goal for rate of follow-through for referrals from our behavioral medicine consultants, who are integrated in our primary care department (community outpatient) to on-going psychotherapy? Does anyone know of literature that suggests a baseline for how many patients that are referred for therapy actually follow through?
UPDATE 6/25: Note that the referral is actually to a different department. Patients would be getting referred from a primary care appointment in which they meet with a behavioral health consultant. The BH consultant will be referring the Pt. to on-going therapy with a different therapist altogether. What referral follow-through rate should we expect, based on the literature?
Dear Jon,
It does not have to do with whosoever refer a client to therapy:
"Depending on which study you read, between 20 and 57 percent of therapy clients do not return after their initial session. Another 37 to 45 percent only attend therapy a total of two times. Although many factors contribute to premature client termination, the number one cited reason by clients is dissatisfaction with the therapist. The problem of the “disappearing client” is what Arnold Lazarus has called “the slippery underbelly to the successful practice of psychotherapy that is almost never discussed in graduate programs or medical schools.”
https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/therapy-failure
I agree an unpublished study we did showed a 50% no show rate after a comprehensive intake. When we followed up on why, many of the patinets stated "the intake helped so much" they no longer felt the need for further consultation.
I have a published study on this and I believe it is a similar format to what you are doing. I am a consultant within a primary care clinic where I receive referrals from PCPs. Most of these are a one time evaluation with referral to a behavioral health clinic for psychotherapy. About 85% of patients followed through with the referral from their PCP to me and of those I suggested to follow up with therapy, about 55% did. Here is the citation for the paper but feel free to contact me for a copy if needed:
Miller-Matero, L.R., Dubaybo, F., Ziadni, M., Feit, R., Kvamme, R., Eshelman, A., &Keimig, W. (2015). Embedding a psychologist into primary care increases access to behavioral health services. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 6, 100-104.
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