title: [Primary community health districts and changes in the utilization of a psychiatric service for diagnosis and therapy].
abstract: The Authors analyze the activity of Pavia's General Hospital Psychiatric Unit over a ten year period. Data, presented as rates standardized by sex and age, are processed according to patients' residential socio-health districts. The analysis of the results shows marked differences in the Service utilization among different districts. Correlations between these differences and some socio-demographic and clinical variables enable the Authors to put forward some hypotheses in order to understand this pattern of Service utilization. In particular, "high-users" and patients with a past history of admissions to psychiatric hospitals tend to be found especially in the districts which provide the Service with a heavy workload. A closer attention to these patients and to their pathways to care will enable the Service staff to optimize its supply of care and to plan new kinds of treatments.
authors.affiliation: USSL n. 77, Università degli Studi di Pavia.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Politi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piccinelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bisoffi
mesh_terms: D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
vernacular_title: Distretti socio-sanitari di base e variazioni nell'utilizzo di un servizio psichiatrico di diagnosi e cura.