The objective of this study is to describe the diagnostic agreement between physicians and liaison psychiatry units (LPU) in 7 general hospitals of Spain for elderly patients and to analyze possible factors related to it.

This is an observational., cross-sectional, multicenter study. We obtained data from a sample of 165 patients (≥65 years) admitted to 7 general hospitals in Spain referred from different departments to each liaison psychiatry unit. Data was collected for a month and a half period. Psychiatric evaluations were performed while the patients were on wards.

We obtained a sample of 165 patients (78 women, 88 men) with a mean age of 76,03 years old (42.10% <75 years, 57,83% ≥ 75 years). Most of them were married and they lived accompanied (67,27%). Only 5,45% lived in a nursing home.

In 55.15% the main reason to referral was anxiety/depression symptoms. 42,42% had no psychiatry medical background. After LPU visit a new diagnosis was done in 56.96%. Main diagnoses were adjustments disorders (26,66%), delirium (20,6%) and no psychiatric pathology (14,54%)

Cohen’s kappa statistics were used to estimate the agreement between the diagnoses made by LPU and the diagnoses considered by the referring doctors. We obtained a moderate global agreement (kappa= 0,4971) between observers (0,424 for <75 years, 0,557 for ≥65 years) Moderate agreement was found for alcohol or substance abuse (kappa= 0,41) and low agreement was found for affective disorders (kappa= 0,3278) and delirium/ psychological and behavioral symptoms in dementia (Kappa= 0,2341).

We analyzed factors which might affect de agreement between physicians and LPU such is group of age, functional impairment, comorbidity by Charlson index and previous diagnosis of dementia.

Further longitudinal studies might help in the future to analyze the factors related to agreement between doctors and might help to establish educational programs