Abstract
Introduction: Community services are gaining ground when it comes to attention to patients with psychiatric diseases. Regarding patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), the use of information and communication technology (ICT) could help to shift the focus from hospital-centered attention to community services. This study compares the differences in mental health services provided for patients with TRS in Budapest (Hungary), Tel-Aviv (Israel) and Catalonia (Spain) by means of a method for the quick appraisal of gaps among the three places, for a potential implementation of the same ICT tool in these regions. Methods: An adapted version of the Description and Standardised Evaluation of Services and Directories in Europe for Long Term Care (DESDE-LTC) instrument was made by researchers in Semmelweis University (Budapest, Hungary), Gertner Institute (Tel-Aviv, Israel) and Hospital de la Santa Creu I Sant Pau and Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (Catalonia, Spain). Results: Two types of outpatient care services were available in the three regions. Only one type of day-care facility was common in the whole study area. Two residential care services, one for acute and the other for non-acute patients were available in every region. Finally, two self-care and volunteer-care facilities were available in the three places. Conclusion: Although the availability of services was different in each region, most of the services provided were sufficiently similar to allow the implementation of the same ICT solution in the three places.
Highlights
Community services are gaining ground when it comes to attention to patients with psychiatric diseases
Professionals involved in the services available in all three areas were psychiatrists and nurses, while psychologists and social workers were present only in Tel-Aviv and Catalonia
The DESDE-LTC instrument has been useful for the comparison of available services in each region to treat people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS)
Summary
Community services are gaining ground when it comes to attention to patients with psychiatric diseases. This study compares the differences in mental health services provided for patients with TRS in Budapest (Hungary), Tel-Aviv (Israel) and Catalonia (Spain) by means of a method for the quick appraisal of gaps among the three places, for a potential implementation of the same ICT tool in these regions. A review by Becker and Kilian [5] showed that in Western Europe there has been an increase in community services with less in-patient treatment, albeit with substantial variability in psychiatric service systems within individual countries. In this sense, several studies have revealed differences in the pattern of care for people with schizophrenia, even though their clinical characteristics are similar [6,7]. Another study demonstrated that a better coordination between system services could improve treatment and reduce the use of emergency psychiatric services [8]
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