Acute schizophrenia: an efficacious outpatient treatment approach as an alternative to full-time hospitalization.
A research study was designed to test the hypothesis that acutely schizophrenic patients treated for a few minutes a day in a specially designed, city-county hospital outpatient clinic could remit as frequently, rapidly, and economically as a similar group managed on the ward of the same hospital. The results of the study permitted acceptance of the hypothesis. To wit, 90% of the clinic patients remitted in a median time of 12.5 days, as opposed to 70% of the ward patients remitting in a median time of 19.5 days and for approximately six times the cost.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012114:Residential Treatment; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors