News: Intensive psychiatric home care associated with lower hospital readmissions, study shows

According to a new study published in JAMA Network Open, intensive home treatment (IHT) after a psychiatric crisis is linked to 18% lower readmission rates over 12 months compared to standard psychiatric inpatient treatment. When looking at readmission rates to either inpatient, day clinic or IHT, those who originally received IHT were admitted at a rate 13% less than the inpatient groups, Medscape Medical News reported.

Researchers conducted a trial with 400 participants from 2020 to 2022 at 10 psychiatric hospitals in Germany, comparing IHT with inpatient treatment. IHT involved at least one psychiatrist, a nurse, and either a psychologist, social worker, or occupational or physiotherapist, and followed established psychiatric inpatient care guidelines.

By the 12-month follow-up, home treatment participants had also spent fewer inpatient days in the study center, with a mean difference of 6.82 days from those who had received inpatient treatment. No significant difference between the groups was found when it came to either job integration, quality of life, psychosocial functioning, symptom severity, or recovery at 12-month follow-up.

“This evidence shows that shifting the location of service delivery to people’s homes also in severe crises is possible and has several advantages,” the study authors wrote. “IHT seems able to build on resources in the community as symptoms can be contextualized and patients and relatives can immediately apply what they have experienced with the multidisciplinary team.”

Editor’s note: To read Medscape Medical News’ coverage of this story, click here. To access the JAMA Network Open study, click here.