Roughly one in six (16.5%) patients in Belgium are readmitted to psychiatric care within 30 days of being discharged – a figure that rises to almost one in three (33.7%) within six months, according to a new study by the health insurance fund Mutualités Libres.
One proactive way to reduce readmission risk is to ensure patients follow up with their GP within the required seven days after discharge from a psychiatric hospital; however, only 17.3% of discharged psychiatric patients do.
"Aftercare must be prepared while the patient is still hospitalised," said Dr Ruud Saerens, medical expert at Mutualités Libres. "With particular attention paid to ensuring a timely initial contact with outpatient care providers, in order to prevent avoidable readmissions and other critical situations."
According to the health fund, failure to follow up within seven days with a GP increases the risk of readmission to a psychiatric hospital by 15%.
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The health insurance fund published the study to raise awareness of the lack of continuity of care for psychiatric patients, which they recommend should be arranged before a patient is discharged from hospital.
Alongside limited follow-up GP contact, other social and organisational factors increase the risk of readmission.
Those who are long-term sick or have a disability have a 21% chance of being readmitted within 30 days. Similarly, those who faced a longer-than-average hospital stay (23%) and women (23%) see increased risks of being readmitted.
The study found that patients with complex needs need a single dedicated care coordinator to keep them from getting lost in the system.
"The weeks after leaving a psychiatric hospital are a pivotal period for recovery. Fast and quality monitoring is essential to maximise the chances of recovery and ensure continuity of care," Saerens said.
