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Changing patterns of hospitalization in eating disorder patients
C V Wiseman1, S R Sunday, F Klapper
1The Cornell Eating Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, Weill College of Medicine at Cornell University, White Plains, New York 10605, USA.
Objective:
This study investigated the changing patterns of hospitalization of eating disorder patients over the past 15 years.
Method:
The records of 1,185 eating disorder patients between 1984 and 1998 were examined on several variables.
Results:
Over the 15 years, the number of first admissions increased from 20 to 182. There was a concomitant decrease in length of stay from 149.5 days in 1984 to 23.7 days in 1998. Readmissions increased markedly from 0% during the first year to 27% of total admissions in 1998. The discharge weight of anorectic patients significantly decreased from a body mass index (BMI) of 19.3 in 1984 to 17.7 in 1998. These changes were particularly salient in the past 3 years, concurrent with a dramatic rise in managed care cases.
Conclusions:
Over the past 15 years, eating disorder hospital treatment has metamorphozed from long-term treatment of a disorder to stabilization of acute episodes. For some patients, this change has been deleterious and not cost effective.
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