Aim: The survey was aimed at describing the characteristics and therapeutic means offered and the organizational structure of Polish day hospitals for adults as well the as characteristics of patients treated there. It was part of a wider international project carried out within a 5 EC Framework Program and focused on evaluation of costs and effectiveness of day hospital treatment when set against conventional stationary treatment in different European health care systems.
Method: Data concerning the year 2000 were gathered using a self-designed questionnaire sent to respondents by post. The response ratio reached 65.2%.
Results: Based on the cluster analysis, three main types of day hospitals were recognized: 1. day hospitals focused on rehabilitation of chronic mental disturbances, improvement of social functioning and support, 2. day hospitals being alternative to stationary inpatient treatment, 3. day hospitals intended to continue out-patient treatment and psychotherapy. The number of treatment places, working hours and work-days in a week in polled institutions was constant. Most frequent reasons for not admitting a patient to a day hospital were: intensive suicidal tendencies and acute psychotic decompensation. The most numerous diagnostic groups of patients treated there were schizophrenia (32.2%) and affective disorder (17.4%). Only 18.6% of day hospitals employed a qualified psychotherapist, and 32.6% had a social worker. On the average, one treatment place was offered to 5 patients during a year.
Conclusions: The profile of patients admitted to Polish day hospitals for adults is not arbitrarily defined with respect to diagnosis and severity of disorder. However, it is possible to distinguish day hospitals, which have their preferences: more to rehabilitate or more to treat patients. In the last 16 years there was a threefold increase of the number of patients treated in day hospitals due to affective disturbances.