The results of the 2022 quality measures in adult and child and adolescent psychiatry have been published. They show that inpatient treatments led to a significant decrease in patients’ average symptom burden. The proportion of cases with at least one measure restricting freedom decreased compared with the previous year.
The annual quality measurements survey the symptom burden of patients as well as the frequency of measures restricting freedom in inpatient psychiatry. As part of the measurement of symptom burden, patients as well as treating hospital staff assessed how physical and psychological complaints and other symptoms developed between admission and discharge. In adult psychiatry, the average symptom burden decreased significantly during the hospital stay. From the patients’ perspective, it decreased at a similar rate as in the previous year; from the treatment providers’ perspective, the decrease was slightly greater than in 2021. Admission scores remained stable from both the patient and practitioner perspectives.
Symptom burden also reduced in children
In child and adolescent psychiatry, inpatient treatments also clearly reduced the average symptom burden. In the self-assessment of the children and adolescents and in the external assessment by the clinic staff, the symptom burden at clinic admission was at the previous year’s level. The difference between admission and discharge was assessed similarly by the treatment providers as in 2021; in the patients’ self-assessment, the difference was smaller.
Fewer measures restricting freedom
In adult psychiatry, the proportion of cases with at least one measure restricting freedom across all hospital types (excluding forensic psychiatry) was 8.8%. Compared with 2021, this represents an average decrease of 0.8 percentage points. In child and adolescent psychiatry, the trend of a declining number of cases continued. With a share of 5.8%, there was a sharp decrease of one percentage point compared with the previous year.
Protection of the persons concerned
When interpreting the results, it should be noted that measures restricting freedom are used to protect patients as well as their environment. Therefore, a low number does not automatically indicate better treatment quality.
Source: «Stationäre Psychiatrie: Wirksame Behandlungen und weniger Freiheitsbeschränkende Massnahmen im Jahr 2022», 17.10.2023, Nationaler Verein für Qualitätsentwicklung in Spitälern und Kliniken (ANQ).
InFo NEUROLOGIE & PSYCHIATRIE 2023; 21(5): 43
HAUSARZT PRAXIS 2023: 18(12): 36
