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Domiciliary phlebotomy for elderly people with mental illness

Mersey Care NHS Trust, Liverpool

Catherine Siller, Medical Student

University of Liverpool

David Anderson, Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry

Sir Douglas Crawford Unit, Mossley Hill Hospital, Park Avenue, Liverpool L18 8BU.Tel: 0151 250 6060; fax: 0151 729 0227

Declaration of interest

None.

AIMS AND METHOD

This paper reports the evaluation of a pilot domiciliary phlebotomy service provided by an old age psychiatry service to enhance the management of patients in their own homes. Clinical and demographic data were collected and the costs of phlebotomy home visits compared with those of ambulance transport.

RESULTS

Of 511 phlebotomy visits made to 307 patients, only 8% were unsuccessful. A subgroup analysis indicated that 70% of patients would have been unable to leave home unaccompanied to attend for venepuncture. The cost of the phlebotomist’s travel was comparable with the estimated cost of providing ambulance transport for patients who would have required it.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Domiciliary phlebotomy can be a viable method of performing blood investigations in an old age psychiatry service to support home assessment.