title: Reflections on facilitated discharge from a mental health service.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this paper is to review research evidence and describe our experience of facilitated discharge from mental health services to primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature review of facilitated discharge was conducted. In addition, the clinical characteristics of 21 discharged and 21 non-discharged patients from one shared care service were compared in a retrospective file review. Thirty-one patients in another facilitated discharge program were surveyed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Discharged patients had a higher level of function. There was a trend towards discharged patients being female and employed with less chronic illness, involuntary treatment, behavioural symptoms, depot medication, triage contact, service contact with family, and more mood disorder. Of the 10 survey respondents, 60% reported feeling better compared with their last service contact, 70% felt not having contact was a good thing and most saw their doctors regularly and reported a good relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a trend towards more stable patients being discharged and it appeared that they responded positively to this, without a clear indication of which factors best determine suitability for discharge. Consequently, we elected to incorporate discharge planning processes as a core function of case management and increase shared care with the primary care sector.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia. sean.jespersen@easternhealth.org.au
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jespersen
authors.forename: Terence
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Donegan
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudinoff
authors.forename: Leanne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McGain
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gant
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011570:Psychiatry; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome