Psychiatric patients too often hospitalised, say mutualities
Patients being taken in by general hospitals for psychiatric problems rather than specialised care facilities are costing the system way too much, according to the umbrella organisation of independent mutualities
Care facilities underutilised
According to OZ, the average stay of a patient in a psychiatric department of a general hospital is 26 days. In a specialised psychiatric hospital, patients stay on average for 69 days. About 5% of the patients stays more than a year at the hospital, and 2% even longer than five years.
“A psychiatric admission is often necessary if the patient is a danger for self or others, but why are some patients in Belgian kept so long in hospital?,” asks the organisation.
A stay at the psychiatric department of a general hospital costs the social security system an average of €10,340 per month per patient. For psychiatric hospitals, the cost amounts to €4,720 per month
“In the infrastructure outside the hospital, meant for a long-term stay, the cost is much lower,” stated OZ. “A stay in a psychiatric care residence costs the social security on average €3,110 per month per patient, and a stay in sheltered housing €1,670.” OZ is requesting for more investment in these formulas, which it claimed are underutilised.
photo: Darren Kemper/Corbis
