title: A comparison of patients in private and public psychiatric facilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare hospitalised patients in private and public facilities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective medical record review of 100 patients admitted consecutively to both a private psychiatric hospital and a public facility in South Australia in January, 1985.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a paucity of data about privately treated patients with psychiatric illness. Although several studies have suggested that patients treated in private are similar to those seen at public facilities, thus challenging some of the myths about private practice, a recent Australian study emphasised the differences between private and publicly treated hospitalised patients. The present comparison of hospitalised patients in private and public hospitals, whilst demonstrating some differences, was more marked by the similarities in clinical features. The relevance of the different results, the manner in which they may be interpreted, and the implications for administrative decisions which may affect patients with psychiatric illness are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dibden Research Unit, Glenside Hospital, Eastwood, South Australia.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Goldney
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Costain
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Spence
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006743:Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010067:Ownership; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013021:South Australia