A multi-phase research project examining current inpatient psychiatric
practices and the relationships between different treatments and pati
ent outcomes is described. The study sample includes Medicaid patients
with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who have been treated in inpatient
units of general hospitals in New York State. The research is focused
at the heart of the debate concerning the appropriate role of inpatien
t psychiatric care within a balanced system of mental health services.
Addressed are the conceptual issues that guided the project, research
strategies, instrument development, measures used and the preliminary
findings that informed successive phases. Design issues are reviewed
in light of the conceptual and pragmatic decisions made with a multipl
e site design. A compelling argument is made about the need for a long
-term treatment orientation that prepares patients for what lies ahead
and that assures communication and continuity between inpatient and o
utpatient care.