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Innovations in Practice: The impact of the development of a CAMH Intensive Treatment Service and service redesign on psychiatric admissions
Author(s) -
Duffy Fiona,
Skeldon Joanne
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
child and adolescent mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.912
H-Index - 46
eISSN - 1475-3588
pISSN - 1475-357X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2012.00659.x
Subject(s) - referral , medicine , mental health service , mental health , government (linguistics) , service (business) , psychiatry , emergency medicine , family medicine , linguistics , philosophy , economy , economics
Background In 2006, the Scottish Government made a commitment to reduce admissions of young people to adult psychiatric wards. This study investigates the impact of a Child and Adolescent Mental Health ( CAMH ) Intensive Treatment Service ( ITS ) and service redesign on psychiatric admission rates. Method Referral data were obtained for the first year of the ITS , between 23 April 2010 and 1 April 2011. Data on psychiatric admission rates were obtained up until 30 June 2011. Results Median length of adolescent inpatient stay reduced from 28 to 15 days and admissions of young people to adult wards significantly reduced by 65%. The number of admissions and readmissions to the adolescent inpatient unit increased. Conclusions A CAMH ITS and accompanying service redesign can reduce length of adolescent inpatient stay and significantly reduce the number of young people admitted to adult psychiatric wards.