A Cooperative Program Between State Hospital and Public Health Nursing Agency for Psychiatric Aftercare

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Abstract
This is a report on the use of public health nurses for follow-up care of 312 unselected patients from a state mental hospital. Covered are: a brief description of the operation of the program, including administrative policies and tools such as interagency referral forms, that facilitated interaction between hospital and public health nursing agency; a time and cost study including average number of visits to a psychiatric patient, average duration of visits, average cost of visits, total number of visits to, or in behalf of, the study group. Also presented are the effects of the program for psychiatric patients on the ongoing service program. In this context, increases in "in-service" education, after-hours service, and interaction of hospital personnel and public health nurses are discussed. The paper reports in detail the initial disposition of the patient cohort with respect to their acceptance or refusal of the public health nursing service; their maintenance (3 or more visits) or non-maintenance (2 or less visits) under nursing care. Of the patient group 67% accepted service and 22% refused service. The patients'' reasons for refusing service are given and discussed. Of those patients who did not refuse, 74% were maintained in service (3 or more visits). A breakdown of reasons for non-maintenance under nursing care is given and discussed. The paper is the 2nd in a series reporting an extensive assessment of this nursing program for psychiatric patients.