title: Effectiveness and costs of acute day hospital treatment compared with conventional in-patient care: randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Data on effectiveness of acute day hospital treatment for psychiatric illness are inconsistent.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To establish the effectiveness and costs of care in a day hospital providing acute treatment exclusively.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a randomised controlled trial, 206 voluntarily admitted patients were allocated to either day hospital treatment or conventional wards. Psychopathology, treatment satisfaction and subjective quality of life at discharge, 3 months and 12 months after discharge, readmissions to acute psychiatric treatment within 3 and 12 months, and costs in the index treatment period were taken as outcome criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Day hospital patients showed significantly more favourable changes in psychopathology at discharge but not at follow-up. They also reported higher treatment satisfaction at discharge and after 3 months, but not after 12 months. There were no significant differences in subjective quality of life or in readmissions during follow-up. Mean total support costs were higher for the day hospital group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Day hospital treatment for voluntary psychiatric patients in an inner-city area appears more effective in terms of reducing psychopathology in the shortterm and generates greater patient satisfaction than conventional in-patient care, but may be more costly.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London E13 8SP, UK. s.priebe@qmul.ac.uk
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Priebe
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCabe
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Briscoe
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sleed
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beecham
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000191:economics; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006302:Health Services Research; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome