[Patients' assessments of acute psychiatric day hospital and inpatient care. Analyses of open questions within the context of a randomised controlled trial].
OBJECTIVE
Within the context of the EDEN-study, a multi-centre randomised controlled trial comparing acute psychiatric day hospital with inpatient care, patients' assessments of treatment as well as their setting-preferences for future treatment have been studied.


METHODS
Patients' assessments were collected using the Clients' Scale for Assessment of Treatment (CAT). The quantitative content analysis refers to the answers to the open questions of the CAT by all day hospital patients and inpatients in the Dresden project centre who completed the questionnaire one week after admission and again at discharge.


RESULTS
Day hospital patients as well as inpatients assessed their treatment altogether as pleasant and effective. Interpersonal contact to the staff and other patients was evaluated as sound and helpful. Differences between the settings appeared primarily with regard to criticisms: Day hospital patients were mainly dissatisfied with their daily routine, inpatients criticized particularly structural conditions such as premises and food. In case of a hospital readmission, the majority of the patients would prefer that setting they had been randomised to within the EDEN-study. However, a tendency to prefer treatment in the day hospital was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute mentally ill patients provide a substantially favourable assessment of both day hospital and inpatient care. Particularly the criticism of the day hospital patients contains important information for improving the quality of psychiatric care.
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden.
Tilly
T
Eichler
Matthias
M
Schützwohl
Matthias
M
Glöckner
Christiane
C
Matthes
Thomas W
TW
Kallert
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires