title: [Changes in utilization of inpatient treatment after introduction of a gerontopsychiatric center].
abstract: We investigate the sociomedical effect of the development of Kaufbeuren's Psychogeriatric Center through the last six years by means of administrative and medical care variables. Whereas the number of admissions remained relatively stable, the medium duration of stay continuously decreased from 181 to 31 days--above all in favour of dementia--and the number of days hospital stay by 692%. The diagnosis with the greatest variation in number was the increase of depressive disorders to 31% of all admissions in 1998. Whereas the hospitalisation of patients initiated by general practitioners decreased by 12%, in the same period of time the number of admissions from our psychogeriatric outpatients' department increased by 16%. The number of admissions suggested by homes of the aged decreased, whereas the admission by patients' own initiative increased continuously. While the number of patients living in residential care decreased by 11%, the rate of patients living with their partners at home increased by 7%. These results point to the efficiency of community and visiting psychogeriatric care from both a patients' and an economically point of view.
authors.affiliation: Bezirkskrankenhaus Kaufbeuren.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Valdes-Stauber
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nissle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: von Cranach
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014600:Utilization Review