Assessment of inpatient treatment of persons with schizophrenia: implications for practice

This descriptive study examined a stratified random sample by month of 457 persons with schizophrenia hospitalized on an inpatient unit at a nonprofit hospital located in Honolulu, HI in 1997. White patients were overrepresented in the sample when compared to the number in the general population. Part-Hawaiian patients had longer lengths of stay. Women were more likely to be admitted involuntarily than men. The majority of the patients were prescribed atypical antipsychotic medications. Only 8.8% of the patients were in restraints during their hospitalization. Problematic areas were patient teaching, monitoring of medication side effects, treatment planning, and discharge planning. The study site is fully accredited, attending physicians were all psychiatrists, and the majority of the nurses were certified. How pervasive there deficiencies are in other settings is not known. The findings of the study were used to revise a schizophrenic care path used on the inpatient unit.