[Psychiatric case management. Chronic Disease Management application experience in a public Mental Health Service]

Aim of this study is to investigate the possible effectiveness of a specific program management needs of patients at high impact health care, case management (CM). The welfare impact is evaluated in terms of the severity of the presented disorder or to other characteristic factors of the individual patient, such as: adherence to the proposed treatments, possible resistance to drug treatment, cognitive structure, the presence of comorbid medical pathologies, abuse/addiction and, more generally, all bio-psycho-social functioning variables that can complicate the treatment of the patient.

Twenty five outpatients with chronic schizophrenia (age mean 49,5 yrs) were evaluated through the Camberwell Assessment of Need (CAN20) and Life Skill Profile (LSP) before and after 1 year of CM treatment. General psychopathology was assessed by the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Demographic data were collected, as well as data related to the severity of the disorder: number of hospitalizations and number of switch in drug treatment in the year before the study.

Between T0 and T1 there is a significant improvement on CGI-G, BPRS (total and HOST factor), LSP and CAN TOT in patients treated with CM. Moreover, in CM treated patients a 58% reduction of hospitalizations is noted in the year of study.

There is a possible effectiveness of CM in improving patient's clinical and social needs in chronic psychiatric diseases. The CM reduces the number of hospitalizations.