The value and cost-effectiveness of a home-visiting programme for psychiatric patients.
The high rate of readmissions to psychiatric hospitals constitutes a considerable problem. An attempt to reduce these by a controlled standard home-visiting procedure was carried out for 51 consecutive patients at Valkenberg Hospital, Cape Town. Readmissions were reduced by 31.5% over 1 year and the number of days in hospital by 55.6% from 3714 to 1850 days. Attendance at outpatient clinics also improved by 39%. The cost-effectiveness of this programme was also demonstrated; there was a saving of approximately R786 per patient over the year.
Gillis
L S
LS
MRC Clinical Psychiatry Research Unit, University of Cape Town.
Koch
A
A
Joyi
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000191:economics*; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013019:South Africa