title: The use of a contract admission procedure on an acute psychiatric admission ward.
abstract: The patients discharged from a 24 bed acute psychiatric admission ward over a six-month period after the introduction of a contract admission procedure were compared with a similar group, discharged over the identical six-month period of the preceding year, before the use of the new procedure. The length of stay in hospital was found to be reduced, but preliminary studies suggest that the readmission rate is not significantly altered. There was no evidence to suggest that shortening the length of stay in hospital increased the likelihood of relapse, nor were increased demands made on the day hospital service.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D010358:Patient Participation; D010359:Patient Readmission