BACKGROUND: Although much prior research has found a consistently positive volume-outcome relationship, there is scanty documentation on this issue in mental healthcare. This study examines the association between a hospitals' psychiatric inpatient volume and 30-day readmission rates. METHODS: Using administrative data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database for 2003, the likelihood of 30-day readmission is examined relative to the hospital's volume of voluntary psychiatric admissions and total bed-days. RESULTS: As hospital volume increases, so too does the 30-day readmission rates for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The positive volume-outcome relationship in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders suggests a different scenario from the 'practice makes perfect' phenomenon that may underlie the inverse volume-outcome relationship found among most physical disorders, both surgical and medical.
BACKGROUND: Although much prior research has found a consistently positive volume-outcome relationship, there is scanty documentation on this issue in mental healthcare. This study examines the association between a hospitals' psychiatric inpatient volume and 30-day readmission rates. METHODS: Using administrative data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database for 2003, the likelihood of 30-day readmission is examined relative to the hospital's volume of voluntary psychiatric admissions and total bed-days. RESULTS: As hospital volume increases, so too does the 30-day readmission rates for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The positive volume-outcome relationship in patients suffering from psychiatric disorders suggests a different scenario from the 'practice makes perfect' phenomenon that may underlie the inverse volume-outcome relationship found among most physical disorders, both surgical and medical.
Authors: John D Birkmeyer; Andrea E Siewers; Emily V A Finlayson; Therese A Stukel; F Lee Lucas; Ida Batista; H Gilbert Welch; David E Wennberg Journal: N Engl J Med Date: 2002-04-11 Impact factor: 91.245
Authors: Lakshmi Durairaj; James C Torner; Elizabeth A Chrischilles; Mary S Vaughan Sarrazin; Jon Yankey; Gary E Rosenthal Journal: Chest Date: 2005-09 Impact factor: 9.410