[Pre- and postadmission treatment--possible applications for psychiatry]

German Health Legislation has recently issued regulations for cuts in health expenditure. One of the new proposed services is pre- and post in-patient treatment services. Hitherto their realization has mainly been seen in somatic disciplines, mainly surgery. The author shows that psychiatry will gain more efficiency and quality of psychiatric care through implementation of these services. The threefold spectrum of psychiatric treatment facilities (in-patient, out-patient, day-treatment) will thus be upgraded into a five-dimensional treatment. It is shown, that most of these new treatment facilities have been lain dormant in day-to-day psychiatric practice, the new legislation helps the psychiatric profession to set them in motion. Examples for possible use are given.