[Inpatient psychotherapeutic health care services in northern Germany--Results of an expertise].

In Germany health care services for patients with psychosomatic disorders are characterized by three specific features: A large amount of inpatient facilities, which have been developed outside psychiatric institutions and which are mainly rehabilitation clinics instead of acute clinics. We have tried to analyze whether (1) there is a sufficient number of inpatient facilities in Northern Germany, whether (2) the treatment of psychosomatic disorders should be conducted in large-scale outpatient clinics or in minor departments of community hospitals and (3) to what extent therapy should preferably be offered in acute rather than in rehabilitative settings. By means of different methodological approaches our analysis shows (1) a need for more facilities for the treatment of patients with psychosomatic disorders than legally established by the government, (2) the necessity to differentially allocate patients to appropriate clinics and (3) to encourage clinics to develop or to expand those therapeutic elements which aim more at rehabilitative or acute care.