Absconding: reducing failure to return in adult mental health wards.

Failing to return from leave from acute psychiatric wards can have a range of negative consequences for patients, relatives and staff. This study used quality improvement methodology to improve the processes around patient leave and time away from the ward. The aim of this study was to improve rates of on-time return from leave by detained and informal patients by 50%.

Schizophrenia delays and alters maturation of the brain in adolescence.

Early-onset schizophrenia appears to be clinically more severe than the adult-onset form of the disease. In a previous study, we showed that anatomically related grey and white matter abnormalities found in adolescents patients were larger and more widespread than what had been reported in the literature on adult schizophrenia. Particularly, we found novel structural abnormalities in the primary sensorimotor and premotor systems.

Predicting discharge outcomes for stroke patients in Australia.

Objective: This study aimed to describe discharge outcomes and explore their correlates for patients rehabilitated after stroke at an Australian hospital from 1993 to 1998.

Design: Data on length of stay, discharge functional status, and discharge destination were retrospectively obtained from medical records. Patients' actual rehabilitation length of stay was compared with the Australian National Sub-Acute and Non-Acute Patient predicted length of stay.