title: Predictors of Clinical Outcome of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in a Rural Area in Denmark: An Observational Study with a Two-Year Follow-Up.
abstract: Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a multidisciplinary team approach to community care treatment, mainly characterised by small caseload and individualised care. The aim of the present study was to identify predictors of clinical outcome in ACT using an observational design. Three ACT Teams were established in The North Denmark Region to treat patients with severe mental illness. The patients were identified and followed in regional and national psychiatric registers, and in social and somatic case registers, 2 years before and 2 years after inclusion. The results showed that the use of psychiatric hospital services decreased significantly for the 240 included patients. Furthermore, the psychopharmacological profile was improved. No significant change occurred in the consumption of the somatic hospitals. Clinical outcome, defined as halving of admissions or bed days, was in a logistic analysis predicted by the patient's psychiatric use of inpatient service prior to inclusion in an ACT Team.
authors.affiliation: Unit for Psychiatric Research and Department S, Psychiatric Hospital, Aalborg University Hospital, Mølleparkvej 10, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark. joaa@rn.dk.|Unit for Psychiatric Research and Department M, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Skovagervej 2, 8240, Aarhus, Denmark. joaa@rn.dk.
authors.forename: Jørgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aagaard
authors.affiliation: Unit for Psychiatric Research and Department M, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Skovagervej 2, 8240, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Pernille
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kølbæk
mesh_terms: D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D012424:Rural Population; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Assertive Community Treatment; Community mental health services; Predictors of outcome; Severe mental illness