title: Awareness of treatment needs and length of stay amongst psychiatric inpatients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inpatient psychiatric units experience significant pressure from third party payers to keep length of stay (LOS) to a minimum despite having to treat more severely ill patients. However, there is a paucity of empiric data for guiding treatment decisions that maximize therapeutic outcome while minimizing LOS. We therefore endeavored to begin utilizing a newly created psychometric instrument that assesses patient psychological factors, which we propose will allow for LOS prediction and individualization of therapeutic outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Goals Questionnaire (GQ), created to determine awareness of treatment needs, was administered to newly admitted patients. Linear regression analyses were conducted to ascertain the relationship between the GQ score and LOS, as well as the effects of confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant and inverse relationship was found between the GQ score and LOS (β=-4.4; p=0.007) that was dependent upon (i.e., had a significant interaction with) age and substance use disorders. There was minimal confounding from common administrative, legal, and clinical factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GQ may have utility for inpatient treatment teams, providing information that can be used to maximize and individualize therapeutic outcome while minimizing LOS.
authors.affiliation: SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210. Electronic address: Megnaj@upstate.edu.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Megna
authors.affiliation: John Hopkins University, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21211.
authors.forename: Alka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aneja
authors.affiliation: Wayland Wellness Associates, 121 Wayland Avenue, Providence, RI, 02906.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sauro
authors.affiliation: Upstate University Hospital, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210.
authors.forename: Naseer
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Oswego Hospital, 105 Co. Rte. 45A, Oswego, NY, 13126.
authors.forename: Mihai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simionescu
authors.affiliation: SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 East Adams Street, Syracuse, NY, 13210.
authors.forename: Georgian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mustata
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH.
authors.forename: Mariela Herrera
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Syracuse VA Medical Center, 800 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY, 13210.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000639:trends; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires