Development of a cost-efficient psychogeriatrics service

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Psychiatry
• Healthcare Management
• Outpatient Services

Background:

• Elderly populations require specialized psychiatric care.
• Teaching hospitals face challenges in expanding geriatric mental health services.
• Existing outpatient models may not be cost or space-efficient for the elderly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe cost-efficient and space-efficient methods for expanding outpatient psychiatric services to the elderly.
• To evaluate the impact of these methods on patient census and clinical outcomes.
• To identify beneficial strategies for geriatric psychiatry outpatient services.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of various cost-efficient and space-efficient service expansion strategies.
• Focus on utilizing existing resources within a teaching hospital's psychiatry clinic.
• Two-year observational period to assess service impact.

Main Results:

• The active treatment census of elderly patients more than doubled, reaching 185 patients.
• Only one patient required psychiatric hospitalization; none required nursing home placement.
• Expansion was achieved without new paid staff or additional space, except for the geriatrics service director.

Conclusions:

• Cost-efficient and space-efficient methods can significantly expand geriatric psychiatric outpatient services.
• This model demonstrates a successful approach to increasing access to care for elderly patients.
• The reviewed methods offer a scalable solution for geriatric mental health service provision in academic settings.