Regulators have a major opportunity to enhance the community care of
former state hospital patients through their power to authorize additional
general hospital psychiatric beds. The authors propose a series of clinical
criteria for such regulators based on a review of state hospital
admissions. These include provisions for patients who have chronic illness
with repeated hospitalizations, who are involuntarily admitted, who have
alcoholism, and who are impoverished. Further implications for general
hospital units include specific changes in their treatment strategy, their
links to facilities for ambulatory patients, and their provisions for staff
education and support.Abstract Teaser