Redevelopment of a Consultation-Liaison Service at a Tertiary Paediatric Hospital

Abstract

Objective: This paper aims to describe the way a multidisciplinary team set out to redevelop a consultation–liaison (C-L) service at a tertiary paediatric hospital. Method: The activities and processes in which the team members engaged were documented within a continuous quality improvement cycle. These activities included literature review, analysis of referral patterns, consultation with extant services, survey of referral sources and consultation with other tertiary paediatricservices. Results: The outcomes of these initiatives were integrated into a re-formulated multidisciplinaryteam model dedicatedto providing C-L services to the paediatric hospital. Signi?cant challenges identi?ed in the initial process were ongoing issues with caseload management and clari?cation of boundary demarcations. Conclusion: There has been a gradual acceptance of the new C-L service by medical staff. The structure has resulted in a focused and coordinated C-L team that has contributed to innovations in the C-L process within the hospital.