Characteristics of adult psychiatric patients with stays of 24 hours or more in the emergency department.

Psychiatr Serv

Department of Psychiatry, Department of Veterans Affairs Boston Health Care System, 940 Belmont St., Brockton, MA 02301, USA.

Published: March 2012

Objective: This study identified characteristics of adult psychiatric patients who remained for 24 or more hours in the emergency departments of general hospitals in Massachusetts.

Methods: Data were collected starting in June 2008 on a prospective cohort of 1,076 patients who presented for emergency psychiatric evaluation at one of five hospitals.

Results: A total of 90 patients (8%) stayed 24 or more hours (median=31 hours). More than 90% (N=1,018) of all patients had health insurance. Characteristics associated with extended stays included homelessness, transfer to another hospital, public insurance, and use of restraints or sitters (p<.05). The two academic medical centers had higher proportions of extended-stay patients than the three community hospitals (12% and 15% versus 1%, 7%, and 7%, respectively; p<.001).

Conclusions: Despite overall high rates of health insurance coverage, publicly insured patients waited longer than those with private insurance. Future reforms of Massachusetts' mandatory health insurance program should consider treatment capacity as well.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201000563DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

characteristics adult
8
adult psychiatric
8
psychiatric patients
8
hours emergency
8
patients
5
patients stays
4
hours
4
stays hours
4
emergency department
4
department objective
4

Similar Publications

Purpose: To compare the assessment of clinically relevant retinal and choroidal lesions as well as optic nerve pathologies using a novel three-wavelength ultra-widefield (UWF) scanning laser ophthalmoscope with established retinal imaging techniques for ophthalmoscopic imaging.

Methods: Eighty eyes with a variety of retinal and choroidal lesions were assessed on the same time point using Topcon color fundus photography (CFP) montage, Optos red/green (RG), Heidelberg SPECTRALIS MultiColor 55-color montage (MCI), and novel Optos red/green/blue (RGB). Paired images of the optic nerve, retinal, or choroidal lesions were initially diagnosed based on CFP imaging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To compare a novel high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) with improved axial resolution (High-Res OCT) with conventional spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) with regard to their capacity to characterize the disorganization of the retinal inner layers (DRIL) in diabetic maculopathy.

Methods: Diabetic patients underwent multimodal retinal imaging (SD-OCT, High-Res OCT, and color fundus photography). Best-corrected visual acuity and diabetes characteristics were recorded.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: To investigate potential modes of programmed cell death in the lens epithelial cells (LECs) of patients with early age-related cortical cataract (ARCC) and to explore early-stage intervention strategies.

Methods: Anterior lens capsules were collected from early ARCC patients for comprehensive analysis. Ultrastructural examination of LECs was performed using transmission electron microscopy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study aimed to comprehensively assess visual performance in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM). Additionally, it sought to explore the associations between optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging biomarkers and visual performance in patients with iERM.

Methods: In this prospective, non-interventional study, 57 participants with treatment-naïve iERM from the University of Turin, between September 2023 and March 2024 were enrolled.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Computed tomography (CT)-derived low muscle mass is associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill patients. Muscle ultrasound is a promising strategy for quantitating muscle mass. We evaluated the association between baseline ultrasound rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RF-CSA) and intensive care unit (ICU) mortality.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!