Shorter Hospital Stays for Mental Health Care Can Increase Re-Admissions

OPEN MINDS, The Behavioral Health & Social Service Industry Analyst Industry News Studies show that shortening hospital stays during the delivery of mental health services can increase readmission rates. Many health care plans use a utilization review process to determine the "appropriate" length of care for services that a physician has requested, with such reviews often leading to fewer days than requested. Utilization reviews are used by health plans in an effort to control costs. A recent study funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation entitled Do Treatment Restrictions Imposed by Utilization Management Increase the Likelihood of Readmission for Psychiatric . . .