HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS British Journal of Psychiatry Advances in Psychiatric Treatment All RCPsych Journals		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Harrison, J. Articles by Marshall, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Harrison, J. Articles by Marshall, J.

Home or away

which patients are suitable for a psychiatric home treatment service?

Department of Psychiatry, Central Manchester Healthcare NHS Trust, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9WL

Abstract

AIMS AND METHOD

Home treatment offers an alternative to in-patient care, but little has been written about the practicalities of running such a service. Using routine information sources, details of referral and outcome are presented for patients assessed by a home treatment service over 6 months.

RESULTS

Forty-eight per cent of referrals were not accepted, mainly because of lack of cooperation, risk to self or others or the illness not being acute enough. Referrals from junior doctors and accident & emergency were least likely to be accepted. Seventy-two per cent of patients accepted suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder or depression with psychosis, similar to the diagnoses for in-patients. Twenty per cent of patients accepted had to be transferred to in-patient care later.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Staffing levels need to take account of time spent assessing patients. Junior doctors need training in how to use home treatment services appropriately and a wider range of options are needed to manage patients in crisis out of hours. It is possible to target patients with severe mental illness in a home treatment setting, but a significant number will need transfer to inpatient care.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. GLOVER, G. ARTS, and K. S. BABU Crisis resolution/home treatment teams and psychiatric admission rates in England The British Journal of Psychiatry, November 1, 2006; 189(5): 441 - 445. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Tomar, N. Brimblecombe, and G. O'Sullivan Service innovations: Home treatment for first-episode psychosis Psychiatr. Bull., April 1, 2003; 27(4): 148 - 151. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]