Outcomes of inpatient geropsychiatric treatment: the value of assessment protocols

The purpose of this evaluative study was to determine if elderly patients' mental health assessment scores improved after receiving specialized inpatient treatment. A random sample of 106 cases was drawn from existing medical records of patients treated during a 2-year time period in a comprehensive geropsychiatric inpatient clinical outcome assessment program. The clinical assessments included measures of cognitive, affective, and functional levels and used scores from the Mini-Mental State Exam, the Geriatric Depression Scale, the Allen Cognitive and Level of Care Assessment, and the Global Assessment of Function on admission and at discharge. Comparisons of these scores revealed a statistical significance between admission and discharge scores, and the mean assessment scores did improve during the average 12-day hospital stay. Although specific treatment efficacy cannot be inferred from these results, at least the overall efficacy of such treatment was supported by this study's findings.