Aftercare in the Community Health Center

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This is a trial to examine the effects of aftercare for mental health patients in community health center (Leistad). Recruitment occurs among hospitalized patients in psychiatric hospitals (Østmarka). After discharge, patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: intervention group (community health center, primary care) or control group (Community mental health centers of District Psychiatric Service, specialist care). The project's primary objective is to investigate the effect of community services on patients' functional capacity and user satisfaction after discharge. Secondly, the number of treatment days and readmissions to mental health care will be examined. The project will also compare costs of hospitalization, in psychiatric hospital and community health center respectively. Data will be collected from community health records, medical records and patient systems in psychiatric hospital, community mental health centers of District Psychiatric Service (DPS) and questionnaires filled out by patients.

Official Title
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Aftercare in the Community Health Center - a Venue for Identifying and Coordinating Community Services

Conditions
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Mental Disorders

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Community Health center
* Other: Control


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: considered by the responsible manager to have given consent hospitalized, diagnosed and treated such as can be continued in a District Psychiatric Service or a health center. stable condition, but anxiety and disruptive behavior may occur to a lesser extent. considered to have a perceived need for complex services from specialist health and community for a long time after discharge. Exclusion Criteria: not in a stable phase thus shielding required

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Community Health center<br>Aftercare in a community Health center | Other: Community Health center<br>* Observation of the functioning and coordination of health care before discharge to own home.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Control<br>AFtercare as usual in hospital/Mental health centers of District Psychiatric Service (DPS. | Other: Control<br>* standard aftercare in hospital/mental health centers of District Psychiatric Service (DPS).<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Consumption of community health service | Measure different types of community health services in hours per week. | one year | 
| Need for community health services | Using IPLOS (Norw. individual-based nursing and care statistics) form with 17 variables to identify patient needs | one year | 
| User satisfaction | A qualitative analysis of interviews of 10 patients who have been admitted to the District Psychiatric Service and community health center. | one year | 
| Need for community health services | Using individual-based nursing and care statistics (Norw. IPLOS) form with 17 variables to identify patient needs | one year | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Number of treatment days | Number of treatment days in hospital and District Psychiatric Service compared with number of treatment days in community health center. | One year | 
| Readmission | Readmission in hospital. | One year | 
| The total costs of inpatient and total costs of all health care after discharge | Costs per day in hospital; Costs per day for District Psychiatric Service; Costs per day in community health center | One year | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Community Mental Health Centers, Norway, Aftercare