[Characteristics of psychiatric day hospitals in Poland--results of a questionnaire survey].
OBJECTIVE
The survey was aimed at describing the characteristics and therapeutic means offered and the organizational structure of Polish day hospitals for adults as well the as characteristics of patients treated there. It was part of a wider international project carried out within a 5 EC Framework Program and focused on evaluation of costs and effectiveness of day hospital treatment when set against conventional stationary treatment in different European health care systems.


METHODS
Data concerning the year 2000 were gathered using a self-designed questionnaire sent to respondents by post. The response ratio reached 65.2%.


RESULTS
Based on the cluster analysis, three main types of day hospitals were recognized: 1. day hospitals focused on rehabilitation of chronic mental disturbances, improvement of social functioning and support, 2. day hospitals being alternative to stationary inpatient treatment, 3. day hospitals intended to continue out-patient treatment and psychotherapy. The number of treatment places, working hours and work-days in a week in polled institutions was constant. Most frequent reasons for not admitting a patient to a day hospital were: intensive suicidal tendencies and acute psychotic decompensation. The most numerous diagnostic groups of patients treated there were schizophrenia (32.2%) and affective disorder (17.4%). Only 18.6% of day hospitals employed a qualified psychotherapist, and 32.6% had a social worker. On the average, one treatment place was offered to 5 patients during a year.


CONCLUSIONS
The profile of patients admitted to Polish day hospitals for adults is not arbitrarily defined with respect to diagnosis and severity of disorder. However, it is possible to distinguish day hospitals, which have their preferences: more to rehabilitate or more to treat patients. In the last 16 years there was a threefold increase of the number of patients treated in day hospitals due to affective disturbances.
Rymaszewska
Joanna
J
Katedry i Kliniki Psychiatrii AM we Wrocławiu. ankarym@psych.am.wroc.pl
Kiejna
Andrzej
A
Adamowski
Tomasz
T
Szurmińska
Martyna
M
Hadryś
Tomasz
T
Małyszczak
Krzysztof
K
Trypka
Elzbieta
E
Zajac
Józef
J
Jarosz
Joanna
J
D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011044:Poland; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000458:organization & administration; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors