Evaluation of the continuation of care between psychiatric hospitalization units and the outpatient clinics in the community

Introduction. Continuum of care between health institutions is one of the basic elements of healthcare quality. In this article we present a study that was conducted in an acute psychiatric hospitalization unit for adolescent population. The present study analyzes the perception of professionals from community psychiatric care centers on the continuum of care provided to the patients hospitalized in this unit. Method. A self-administered and anonymous questionnaire was mailed to each of the mental health centers that refer patients to the unit. The instrument used is a self-created questionnaire, based on previous tools developed for primary healthcare institutions. The data were analyzed and action plans were defined for the improvement of those areas with a lower score. Results. The response rate was 71.4%. All the items have an average rate higher than 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. The items with a higher score are the possibility to exchange opinions with the professionals of the unit and the knowledge of the doctor responsible for the patient during the hospitalization. The items with a lower level of satisfaction are the referral procedure and the unit's resources. Conclusion. The study provides data on the perception that professionals from mental health out-patient centers have about the coordination with the Unit. These data have been found to be useful to define improvement initiatives that will improve the continuum of care.