TY - JOUR
T1 - Association between length of hospital stay and implementation of discharge planning in acute psychiatric inpatients in Japan
AU - Nakanishi, Miharu
AU - Niimura, Junko
AU - Tanoue, Michika
AU - Yamamura, Motoe
AU - Hirata, Toyoaki
AU - Asukai, Nozomu
N1 - Funding Information:
The present study was funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and the Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry. The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of data; or preparation, review, and approval of the manuscript. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Publisher Copyright:
© Nakanishi et al.
PY - 2015/5/30
Y1 - 2015/5/30
N2 - Background: Japan has introduced an acute psychiatric care unit to the public healthcare insurance program, but its requirement of a shorter length of stay could lead to discharges without proper discharge planning. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the implementation of discharge planning and the length of stay of acute psychiatric inpatients in Japan. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 449 patients discharged from the 'psychiatric emergency ward' of 66 hospitals during a two-week period from March 7 to 20, 2011. The assigned nurse or nursing assistant for each patient provided information on the implementation of discharge planning in the hospital stay. Results: Approximately one quarter of the 449 patients (n = 122) received no support for coordination with post-discharge community care resources. The 122 patients who had received no support for community care coordination had a significantly lower mean age at admission, a shorter length of stay, and a higher rate of either no follow-up or unidentified post-discharge outpatient service than the other 327 patients. Multilevel linear regression analysis demonstrated a significantly greater length of stay among patients who were older, those who had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, those who were admitted compulsorily, those who received hospital outpatient services, and those who received community care coordination support from the assigned nurse or nursing assistant. The implementation of support for community care coordination did not indicate a significant association with these factors, which have been related to an increased risk of psychiatric readmission. Conclusion: Patients to whom the assigned nurse or nursing assistant provided support on community care coordination experienced a significantly greater length of hospital stay. The implementation of support for community care coordination did not indicate a significant association with these factors, which have been related to an increased risk of psychiatric readmission. The mental health policy should increase focus on discharge planning in the acute psychiatric setting to enhance a link between psychiatric inpatient care and post-discharge community care resources.
AB - Background: Japan has introduced an acute psychiatric care unit to the public healthcare insurance program, but its requirement of a shorter length of stay could lead to discharges without proper discharge planning. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the implementation of discharge planning and the length of stay of acute psychiatric inpatients in Japan. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 449 patients discharged from the 'psychiatric emergency ward' of 66 hospitals during a two-week period from March 7 to 20, 2011. The assigned nurse or nursing assistant for each patient provided information on the implementation of discharge planning in the hospital stay. Results: Approximately one quarter of the 449 patients (n = 122) received no support for coordination with post-discharge community care resources. The 122 patients who had received no support for community care coordination had a significantly lower mean age at admission, a shorter length of stay, and a higher rate of either no follow-up or unidentified post-discharge outpatient service than the other 327 patients. Multilevel linear regression analysis demonstrated a significantly greater length of stay among patients who were older, those who had a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia, those who were admitted compulsorily, those who received hospital outpatient services, and those who received community care coordination support from the assigned nurse or nursing assistant. The implementation of support for community care coordination did not indicate a significant association with these factors, which have been related to an increased risk of psychiatric readmission. Conclusion: Patients to whom the assigned nurse or nursing assistant provided support on community care coordination experienced a significantly greater length of hospital stay. The implementation of support for community care coordination did not indicate a significant association with these factors, which have been related to an increased risk of psychiatric readmission. The mental health policy should increase focus on discharge planning in the acute psychiatric setting to enhance a link between psychiatric inpatient care and post-discharge community care resources.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84930207151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84930207151&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s13033-015-0015-9
DO - 10.1186/s13033-015-0015-9
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84930207151
SN - 1752-4458
VL - 9
JO - International Journal of Mental Health Systems
JF - International Journal of Mental Health Systems
IS - 1
M1 - 23
ER -
