Alcoholics' transition from ward to clinic; group orientation improves retention.

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Abstract
To encourage alcoholics to make the transition from inpatient treatment to outpatient care, an experimental program at the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center (New York, N.Y., USA) required all inpatients to attend 10 orientation sessions stressing the importance of aftercare and describing medical, social and psychological aspects of alcoholism. After each session (offered in English and Spanish), inpatients were encourged to socialize with outpatients in a clinic dayroom. To test the effectiveness of this program, outpatient clinic attendance by all inpatients admitted during a 6 mo. period when the program was in effect was compared with outpatient attendance by all inpatients admitted during a 6 mo. period in the previous year (controls). Of 313 alcoholics who were inpatients during the experimental period, 71% returned to the outpatient clinic during the 1st 30 days after discharge vs. 53% of 257 controls. Blacks, Hispanics, patients under 30 and 1st admissions showed significant increases (P < 0.01) in clinic attendance after the experimental program was initiated. Attendance by men, patients in the 30-44 age group, patients hospitalized for under 10 days and patients treated by paraprofessionals increased even more (P < 0.001). Attendance by whites, women, patients age 45 and over and patients who were readmitted showed no significant change but there were small improvements (P < 0.05) in attendance by patients treated by professionals and those hospitalized for 10 days or more.

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