title: Effects of treatment and alternative care on length of stay on a general hospital psychiatric unit--results of an audit.
abstract: Quality controls are becoming an important part of our health care system. A medical audit is one way of evaluating quality of care, and this paper describes the results of an audit conducted to investigate the reasons for a prolonged stay on a psychiatric inpatient unit. The results showed a decrease in the mean length of stay over a five year period, although the figure remained substantially above provincial norms. A review of the hospital charts of a random sample of one in six patients whose hospital stay exceeded 30 days was carried out. It revealed that in 50.0% of cases the reasons were "medically acceptable," in 10.3% the reasons were "medically unacceptable" and in 39.7% the reasons were "social and administrative" and beyond the control of the treating psychiatrist. The implication of these results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Ottawa General Hospital, Ontario.
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Gosselin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Varan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bourgon
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Navarro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006300:Health Services Misuse; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D009864:Ontario; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care