title: Categorization of types of medical/psychiatry units based on level of acuity.
abstract: Medical/psychiatry units can be categorized by the level of acuity of medical and psychiatric illness. Type I units are categorized as those that primarily provide psychiatric care with a low level of medical acuity. Type II units include general medicine or medical subspecialty units that are associated with a psychiatric liaison service and provide low levels of psychiatric care to those admitted to the general medical setting. Type III and Type IV units are characterized by a true departure from the current ward settings and care for patients who have concurrent and more severe medical and psychiatric problems in a unified setting. Both of these units require special physical changes in the ward structure, additional nurse training, and coordinated physician coverage to function effectively.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Kathol
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Harsch
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shakespeare
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cowart
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007358:Insurance, Psychiatric / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008605:Mental Health Services; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital / Q000145:classification*; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce