Prognostic validity of clinical and psychometric variables in psychogeriatric inpatients

The prognostic validity of both clinical and psychometric variables in a sample of psychogeriatric inpatients was evaluated. Elderly patients were divided into three outcome groups (nondischarged, n = 29; discharged-readmitted, n = 38; and discharged-nonreadmitted, n = 67), and comparisons were made on the clinical and psychometric variables. Results were cross-validated on a new sample of patients. Discriminant analysis yielded two predictive functions, which appeared to represent physical status and behavioral disturbance. Results suggest that a combination of clinical and psychometric variables yields the best level of prediction.