Beyond discharge: telephone follow-up and aftercare.

1. Decreased length of stay, inadequate aftercare service, and insufficient attention on the part of professionals to the immediate difficulties of postdischarge adjustment have made the transition from psychiatric hospital back to the community more difficult. 2. Telephone follow-up and aftercare groups ease the patient's transition from hospital to community, help to prevent rapid readmission, and provide a feedback loop to the staff on discharge planning. 3. Little is known about the immediate postdischarge experience for patients and its effects on long-term adjustment. Extended contact with the discharged patient is an ideal way to begin to collect such data.