ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The efficiency of continuation of care (COC) treatment by inpatient caregivers as compared to treatment administered by outpatient services for "revolving door" psychiatric patients was tested in this study. Number and days of hospitalization were examined. METHOD: All patients who were hospitalized three times or more during the past 12 months were offered continuing follow-up in the ward, by the same staff, instead of being referred to the outpatient department. Information on number and length of hospitalizations before and after initiation of this care model was retrieved from the hospital computerized database. RESULTS: Of the 36 patients meeting the criteria, 35 patients agreed to participate. The number of hospitalizations in the 18 months following the index hospitalization was 1.79±3.51 as compared to 4.67±1.79 before the index hospitalization (p=0.0002), and the number of days of hospitalization 18 months after was 24±41.65 as compared to 119.71±69.31 before (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: COC via inpatient follow-up significantly reduces the number and length of hospitalizations in "revolving door" psychiatric patients as compared to the traditional system of follow-up in an outpatient clinic.
