Caring for people in acute day hospitals is as effective as inpatient care in treating acutely ill psychiatric patients. However, further data are still needed on the cost effectiveness of day hospitals.
Day and full time psychiatric treatment: a controlled comparison.
Ninety-one patients admitted as emergencies, suffering from neurosis, personality disorder, or adjustment reaction, were randomly allocated to day hospital or to continued in-patient care. Follow-up was for up to one year. Clinical outcome was similar in the day care and in-patient groups, but patient satisfaction was significantly greater in day patients. Day hospital care was only about two-thirds of the cost of the cheaper of the two in-patient regimes, even though contact with it was on average twice as long as for in-patients.