An after-hours crisis intervention program staffed by psychiatric
residents between 5 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on weekdays was developed in the
general emergency room at a Veterans Affairs hospital to reduce inpatient
psychiatric admissions. The program offered medication, family
interventions, and referrals to outpatient services. In the programs's
first year, inpatient admissions during the hours covered by the program
decreased by 34 percent, for a net savings of nearly $400,000 in inpatient
treatment costs.
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