Study Question. To determine if the increase in the percentage of for-profit psychiatric hospitals in the mental health care industry has had an effect on the efficiency outcomes of not-for-profit and public psychiatric hospitals in the United States. Data Sources. The American Hospital Associations Annual Survey of Hospitals and the Area Resource Files 1980, 1985, 1990, and 1995. Study Design. Regression and structural equation models are used to model changes in the effect of hospital type on psychiatric hospital efficiency outcomes over the fifteen year research time frame utilizing psychiatric hospitals in the 48 contiguous states. Data Collection/Extraction Methods. The analysis used four cross sectional data sets and a merged data set that combined the four sets of data. The hospitals that were included in this consolidated data were merged using a unique identification number. Principal Findings. The results indicate that as the psychiatric hospital landscape has changed, or in other words as the number of for-profit psychiatric hospitals have increased and the number of public psychiatric hospitals have decreased, the efficiency outcomes of the three hospital types have dramatically changed. Conclusions. The implications of these trends are important for the uninsured, underinsured and chronically ill who may be pushed out of psychiatric care as the public psychiatric hospital base decreases and the not-for-profit and for-profit hospitals change their operating strategies.
Learning Objectives: N@A
Keywords: Mental Health System, Hospitals
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.