Unscheduled admissions and AMA discharges from a substance abuse unit.
On the inpatient substance abuse service of the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Hospital, we found that patients who were admitted to the hospital "unscheduled" had a disproportionately higher incidence of subsequent AMA (against medical advice) discharge, particularly if they were alcoholic. This finding calls into question the cost-effectiveness of hospitalization as an initial treatment strategy for substance abusers who enter treatment impulsively and points out the need for additional study to determine the most cost-effective treatments for addicts whose primary motivation for treatment may be to obtain relief from precipitating stressors.
Berg
B J
BJ
Substance Abuse Treatment Unit (SATU), Philadelphia VA Medical Center, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
Dhopesh
V
V
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010343:Patient Admission; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*