Event recording in psychiatric care: development of an instrument and 1-year results.
Methods for regular monitoring of care and services are needed for psychiatrists to act on, to refine practice. We developed a computer-based instrument to be used by staff working with schizophrenic patients. The instrument was tested in a group of patients randomly assigned to an integrated-care program. Data on time, place, direct/indirect contacts, and the main elements of the content of care were regularly recorded on a pocket computer and later transferred to a desktop computer for analysis. One-year data on 24 subjects are presented on three levels: individual, case load, and total patient population. Of the encounters 66% were individual patient contacts. Staff spent 59% of the time at patients' homes. A computer-aided system with built-in information on care delivery, program fidelity, and outcome can be the basis of decision-making on different health-management levels.
Hansson
K S
KS
Department of Social Medicine, Vasa Hospital, SE 411 33 Göteborg, Sweden.
Allebeck
P
P
Malm
U
U
D000328:Adult; D017050:Episode of Care; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006753:Hospital Records; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D008838:Microcomputers; D008875:Middle Aged; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D012984:Software; D013548:Sweden; D013996:Time and Motion Studies