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BACKGROUND AND OBJETIVE: This study was aimed to verify whether it is possible to detect at hospital admission, by means of INTERMED, pneumonology patients at risk of "complexity" and of specialized psychosocial intervention.PATIENTS AND METHOD: With the Spanish version of INTERMED (for detection of risk for complexity of care) 144 patients were interviewed at admission by a standardized nurse. At discharge, patients were reassessed blindly with standardized Spanish versions of instruments including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Somatic illness variables were independently documented, and severity was assessed by means of the Cummulative Illness Rating Scale. All variables were operationalized including complex (IM+; INTERIVIED > 20) and non-complex patients (IM-), and probable need of psychosocial treatment/intervention. Statistical analysis included multivariate logistic regression.RESULTS: A complex course was documented in 9.6% of patients, and 28.8% had complex discharge. Significantly higher proportions of severe anxiety and/or depression were documented in IM+ cases (12.1%) when compared to IM- cases (0.9%), and the need of psychosocial treatment/intervention was also significantly more frequent among the former (24.2% versus 6.3% respectively). Furthermore, in the multivariate analysis and controlling for medical and sociodemographic confounders INTERIVIED was significantly associated with the variable need of psychosocial intervention.CONCLUSIONS: In support of the clinical utility of the INTERMED method (Spanish version), this is the first report in the international literature documenting that standardized nurses are able to detect at admission those medical patients who will eventually need specialized psychosocial intervention.

BACKGROUND AND OBJETIVE: This study was aimed to verify whether it is possible to detect at hospital admission, by means of INTERMED, pneumonology patients at risk of "complexity" and of specialized psychosocial intervention. PATIENTS AND METHOD: With the Spanish version of INTERMED (for detection of risk for complexity of care) 144 patients were interviewed at admission by a standardized nurse. At discharge, patients were reassessed blindly with standardized Spanish versions of instruments including the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Somatic illness variables were independently documented, and severity was assessed by means of the Cummulative Illness Rating Scale. All variables were operationalized including complex (IM+; INTERIVIED > 20) and non-complex patients (IM-), and probable need of psychosocial treatment/intervention. Statistical analysis included multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: A complex course was documented in 9.6% of patients, and 28.8% had complex discharge. Significantly higher proportions of severe anxiety and/or depression were documented in IM+ cases (12.1%) when compared to IM- cases (0.9%), and the need of psychosocial treatment/intervention was also significantly more frequent among the former (24.2% versus 6.3% respectively). Furthermore, in the multivariate analysis and controlling for medical and sociodemographic confounders INTERIVIED was significantly associated with the variable need of psychosocial intervention. CONCLUSIONS: In support of the clinical utility of the INTERMED method (Spanish version), this is the first report in the international literature documenting that standardized nurses are able to detect at admission those medical patients who will eventually need specialized psychosocial intervention.