The authors investigated the relation between psychopathology in
medically ill inpatients and use and cost of medical care services. Of 455
medical inpatients, the Medical Inpatient Screening Test identified 27.9%
as very depressed, 27.5% as very anxious, 20.2% as having cognitive
dysfunction, and 8.6% as having high pain levels. Overall, the test
identified 51% of the patients as having high levels of psychopathology or
pain. These subjects had a 40% longer median length of hospital stay and
35% greater mean hospital costs than those with low levels of
psychopathology or pain. Patients with greater psychopathology also had
higher hospital charges, more procedures during hospitalization, and more
discharge diagnoses but did not differ from the other patients in sex,
race, age, diagnosis-related group (DRG) major diagnostic category, or DRG
weight.Abstract Teaser