Developing a minimum data set of psychiatric emergency record

Psychiatric emergencies are acute mental health, behavioral, and social disorders requiring immediate intervention. The primary role of psychiatric emergency services is to provide mental health services for eligible patients. This study aimed to design a Minimum Data Set (MDS) for emergency psychiatry. 

A comprehensive Grey Literature review was conducted in Iran, the United States, Australia, and England to identify sets of data elements for psychiatric emergencies in April 2019. Three psychiatric MSDs, two psychiatric emergency guidelines, and five psychiatric record forms were identified. Then, the identified data elements were extracted and categorized. An expert panel assessed the face validity. The content validity of a set of data elements and the clinical importance of data elements in emergency psychiatry were evaluated. Data elements that received a score of 4-5 from 79% of the specialists remained in the study. 

Out of a total of 93 identified data elements, 53 were considered essential data elements for MDS of emergency psychiatry. The data elements were categorized as follows: Socio-demographic data, psychiatric history, family psychiatric history, medical history, mental health/ psychiatric status, suicidal risk and harm risk for others, and diagnosis and treatment.

Given the importance of psychiatric disorders and the lack of a national system for gathering psychiatric information, performing the same study on psychiatric data elements is essential. The findings of this study can be applied to design psychiatric emergency forms and accurate and complete data gathering in psychiatric records.