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Assessing Psychiatric Care Settings: Hospitalization Versus Outpatient Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Mary L. Durham  and
John Q. La Fond
Mary L. Durham
Affiliation:
Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research
John Q. La Fond
Affiliation:
Seattle University School of Law
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Abstract

This paper presents a discussion of the historical development of deinstitutionalization in the United States, including the political, ideological, and social origins of that policy. The outcomes of deinstitutionalization are considered, including the impact of the policy on the quality of life of people with severe mental disorders. The authors also provide a brief review of the literature on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of hospitalization versus outpatient (community) care. Recent developments in the use of involuntary hospitalization are discussed, along with a number of important trends in the delivery and financing of services for persons with severe mental disorders.

Information

Type
Special Section: The Assessment of Psychiatry
Information
International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , Fall 1996 , pp. 618 - 633
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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