The clinical utility of the IRAC component of the Framework for Routine Outcome Measurement in Liaison Psychiatry (FROM-LP)

Aims and method The clinical utility of the multidimensional Framework for Routine Outcome Measurement in Liaison Psychiatry (FROM-LP) has not previously been examined. We sought to establish whether referral accuracy and ability to achieve the reason(s) for referral to our liaison service improved after incorporating the Identify and Rate the Aim of the Contact (IRAC) scale of this tool into our referral process. We carried out a retrospective analysis of electronic case notes of all appropriate referrals to the team before and after this adaption. Results Accuracy of referrals to our team improved from 73.8 to 93.7% following intervention. Referral requests that were fully achieved improved from 57.4 to 77.8%, and referral requests that were not achieved decreased from 26.2 to 6.4%. Clinical implications The IRAC component of the FROM-LP measures what it was developed for, and thus has clinical utility supporting its widespread adoption across liaison services in the National Health Service. Declaration of interest None.