[Comparison of "home treatment" with traditional inpatient treatment in a mental hospital in rural southern Germany].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical effectiveness of "Home Treatment" (HT) in comparison to the usual inpatient treatment in patients with acute psychiatric illness.
METHODS: In a prospective observational study we compared 60 of our HT patients to 18 patients receiving inpatient treatment as usual (TAU) with regard to psychopathological symptoms (PANSS, HAM-D 21), global functioning (GAF), symptom severity (HoNOS-D) and sociodemographic parameters at admission and discharge.
RESULTS: HT was a feasible alternative in patients with several different psychiatric diagnoses and appeared to be similar to TAU in view of clinical effectiveness.
CONCLUSIONS: In potentially suitable patients fulfilling criteria of hospital admission, the alternative of HT can be actively considered. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.