Follow-up attendance of patients with mental disorders and substance use disorders after inpatient treatment in psychiatry ward

Abstract Background: The proportion of patients attending the first follow-up appointment as an outpatient after being discharged from the inpatient setting is an outcome indicator of the quality of inpatient services provided. The objectives of this study were to determine the proportion of psychiatric inpatients with mental disorders and substance use disorders attending follow-up appointments after discharge and to determine the factors associated with attending follow-up appointments in these patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review (observational study) was conducted among the inpatients of psychiatry ward. The list of patients admitted to the psychiatry ward was obtained from the admission register. The discharge summaries and outpatient records of these patients were reviewed to obtain the following data: sociodemographic details, clinical details, and follow-up visit details. The primary outcome variable was follow-up attendance in the outpatient department within 30 days of discharge. Results: Ninety-eight patient records were included in the present study. The mean age of the participants was 37.81 (11.03) years and one-third of them were female. The mean duration of hospital stay was 11.32 (8.2) days. Sixty-six (67.35%) patients attended at least one outpatient follow-up visit within 30 days after discharge from the hospital. Patients with mood disorders had 4.25 higher odds of 30-FU when compared to patients with substance use disorders. Conclusions: Two-thirds of psychiatric inpatients with mental disorders and substance use disorders attended follow-up appointments within 30 days after discharge. Diagnostic category was associated with attending the follow-up appointments in these patients.