The current practice of child and adolescent partial hospitalization: results of a national survey.

OBJECTIVE In 1992, the American Association for Partial Hospitalization initiated a national survey of partial hospitalization providers to investigate their present status (programming, staffing, and pricing), to track market trends, and to improve advocacy for appropriate utilization and reimbursement. METHOD Instrument development and field testing preceded widespread distribution of the survey. From survey data, a description of child and adolescent partial hospital services based on statistical averages is reported as are analyses of program differences by length of stay and for-profit/not-for-profit status. RESULTS Of the 580 programs responding, 95 indicated that at least 50% of their patient population consisted of children and adolescents. Descriptive statistics on this subsample suggest continued variability in child and adolescent partial hospital programming. Program differences in referral and discharge patterns, population and programming, and utilization and funding patterns based on length of stay and profit status are presented. CONCLUSIONS The pattern of significant program differences between acute-care and long-term child and adolescent partial hospital programs and for-profit/not-for-profit programs (along with the absence of for-profit programs treating children and adolescents in long-term programs) points to an evolving system of care.