Abstract:
Background:
"Psychiatric hospital outpatient clinics" have been implemented in Baden-Wuerttemberg by the time of the reform of compulsory health insurance in April 2002. The decree dicts additional specialised outpatient treatment programs for chronically and severely mentally ill patients to reduce readmission rates.
Methods:
Psychiatric outpatient clinics, a new treatment form in the German mental health system, were evaluated.
In a multicenter study, standardised basic documentation data from 11 new founded psychiatric outpatient clinics in Baden-Württemberg were analysed. A comparison between centers was outperformed to demonstrate differences in patient characteristics and regional aspects of mental health care with the goal to create reference values.
In part II, outcome in an new, innovative outpatient care program for chronic alcoholics was evaluated. In part III, effectiveness of treatment in the psychiatric outpatient clinic of the university of Tuebingen is evaluated using established outcome parameters. Using the indicator "hospitalization", the study investigated whether treatment in an psychiatric outpatient clinic predicted a reduced incidence or length of stay for inpatient treatment. Readmission rates and the duration of inpatient psychiatric treatment over a 12 month period were assessed in a sample of 177 patients newly admitted to the outpatient clinic to examine the effect of the treatment on abbreviation or prevention of rehospitalization. Predictors of outcome were identified and a benefit-cost-analysis considering the costs of consecutive readmission to inpatient treatment was outperfomed.
Results:
Chronical and severely ill patients are a risk population for rapid re-admission to hospital. Our results show that psychiatric outpatient clinic treatment is an effective treatment approach in maintainance therapy of this patient population. Mainly 3 clusters of patients are treated: such with chronic schizophrenia, addiction and severe neurosis/personality disorder.
Treatment in the Tuebingen outpatient clinic reduce utilization of psychiatric inpatient care. There are significant effects of outpatient treatment on the length of stay in hospital in case of a rehospitalization but not on the rate of rehospitalization. More specifically, for patients who received outpatient clinic treatment subsequent to an inpatient treatment, cumulative personal length of hospital stay was reduced by 60% within one year. This lead to an approximately 40% decrease in treatment costs relative to the previous year. Comorbid personality disorder served as a predictor for poor treatment success.
The "100-day-program" of the Tuebingen psychiatric outpatient clinic represents a promising treatment approach in low-profile outpatient treatment of severely alcohol-dependent patients. In view of the profile of the sample with long duration of illness, frequent hospitalizations, a high level of social disintegration and high psychiatric comorbidity, the moderate effects in treatment prove the effectiveness of the treatment program. More specifically, treatment success rate was 52%, with a 33% abstinence for 100 days. Readmission rate to inpatient treatment was 33% during the treatment period and 40% during a 6 month follow-up period. The "100 day program" represents a recommendable treatment approach for this patient group and should be considered in the mental health system.
Conclusions:
Results suggest that psychiatric outpatient clinics represent effective treatment approach in mental health care of chronically mentally ill patients. Further research on their effectiveness is provided and should consider additional clinical and social parameters. Additionally, comparative studies with comparable mental health treatment approaches like psychiatric practice as "standard treatment" are recommended.