title: [Length of hospitalization for inpatient treatment of depression. Results of a multicentre study on the effects of a new treatment model].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with depression are treated for a relatively long period as inpatients in Germany. A new treatment model with symptom-orientated release management, post-hospitalization treatment and standardized referral to outpatient therapists could be suitable to specifically shorten the hospital stay of patients who have already profited sufficiently from treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a new treatment method (intervention group) with hospitalized depressive patients in comparison to a standard protocol (treatment-as-usual control group) on the length of stay as part of a pragmatic randomized, controlled multicentre study. The evaluation was made using covariance analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 202 randomized patients 184 could be included in the analysis. The estimated marginal mean of the length of stay (n = 83) was 57.3 days (range 1-305 days, SE = 3.8) in the intervention group and (n = 101) 57.6 days (range: 6-196 days, SE = 3.5) in the control group. There were no significant statistical differences between the groups (p = 0.966).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An effect of the new treatment model on the inpatient length of hospital stay in depressive patients could not be demonstrated.
authors: Abteilung für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, AG Klinische Epidemiologie und Versorgungsforschung, Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Hauptstr. 5, 79104, Freiburg, Deutschland, lars.hoelzel@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors: L P
authors: LP
authors: Hölzel
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Bermejo
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Kriston
authors: A
authors: A
authors: von Wolff
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Kornacher
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Harter
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Büttig
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Sacher
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Härter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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