Perinatal psychiatric practitioner consultation program delivers rapid response to OB/GYN practitioners

Introduction Screening and treatment initiation for perinatal psychiatric conditions is a recommended competency in OB/GYN practitioners, yet perinatal psychiatry is rapidly evolving. Practitioner‐to‐psychiatrist consultation programs have the potential to improve the management of psychiatric conditions in perinatal women. This study describes utilization of a statewide perinatal psychiatric consultation service by OB/GYN practitioners through examination of the volume, responsivity, content and outcomes of clinical inquiries, and satisfaction. Methods This quality improvement study describes the 460 telephone or e‐mail consultations requested by OB/GYN practitioners over 2 years and housed within a REDCap database. Data include the characteristics of consult users, month‐over‐month and total utilization, the patient's perinatal status, the reason for contact, current symptoms and medications, and the consulting psychiatrist recommendations. Practitioner satisfaction with consultation is also described. Results After completion of triage, the psychiatrist returned the practitioner's call ≤5 min in 59% of consultations. The most common inquiries were for pregnant (64%) women for depressive (51%) or anxiety (46%) symptoms with 47% of inquiries reporting the patient was currently taking a psychiatric medication. Had consultation not been available, referral to mental health (41%) or starting a medication (15%) were most often reported. Conclusions This perinatal psychiatric consultation service rapidly and effectively met the needs of practitioners practicing in OB/GYN settings across a state having a critical psychiatry shortage and varying urban and rural geography. Future recommendations include the assessment of direct patient outcomes, practitioner skill attainment, and long‐term cost savings of this perinatal psychiatric consultation model.