[Quality assurance in an open psychiatric department]

This prospective study regarding the quality of care and treatment on an unlocked psychiatric ward had two purposes. Firstly, to examine selected elements of care and treatment by continuously registering these elements during the patients' admission and to examine by questionnaire the patients' satisfaction with these elements at the time of their discharge. Secondly to test this method as a means of conducting quality assurance on psychiatric wards. The study took place at the Copenhagen County Hospital Herlev, Psychiatric Department Y, Denmark. Twenty-eight patients admitted to the psychiatric ward between March 1, and May 31, 1993 were included in the study and follow-up at their discharge. We found the method to be very good at uncovering strengths and weaknesses of the practices of our daily clinical work.