title: Experience of Ombudsman at Lev Hasharon Mental Health Center.
abstract: This article describes the first Israeli experience of using an ombudsman in a psychiatric hospital (Lev Hasharon Mental Health Center, Pardesia). The Internal Ombudsman model was used. During a two-year period from 1997 to 1999, out of a total of 1,881 hospitalizations, a total of 71 complaints were received from 68 patients. Analysis of the appeals revealed that the following groups were over-represented: 1. Jewish patients; 2. Male patients; 3. Involuntary admissions. Arising out of our experience we would encourage the implementation of the Ombudsman in psychiatric hospitals.
authors.affiliation: Lev Hasharon Mental Health Center, Pardesia, Israel. levhosp@netvision.net.il
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sigal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kodesh
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Preisman
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017146:Models, Organizational; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations