Community mental health centers in Iowa were surveyed by mail in 1993 to
obtain quantitative data on the utilization of psychiatrists at the
centers. Responses from all 37 centers indicated that they employed a total
of 34 full-time-equivalent (FTE) psychiatrists, representing about 18
percent of the psychiatrist-hours available in the state. The mean number
of psychiatrist-hours per week per center was 36.9. New patients waited a
mean of 30 days for an initial assessment by a psychiatrist. Seventy-three
percent of the centers indicated they could use additional
psychiatrist-hours.Abstract Teaser