Changing patterns of hospitalization in eating disorder patients

Objective: This study investigated the changing patterns of hospitalization of earing disorder patients over the past 15 years. Method: The records of 1,185 eating disorder patients between 1984 and 1998 were examined on seve ral variables. Results: Over the 15 years, the number of first admissions i ncreased from 20 to 182. There was a concomitant decrease in length of stay from 149.5 days in 1984 to 23.7 days in 1998. Readmissions increased marke dly from 0% during the first year to 27% of total admissions in 1998. The d ischarge weight of anorectic patients significantly decreased from a body m ass index (BMI) of 19.3 in 1984 to 17.7 in 1998. These changes were particu larly salient in the past 3 years, concurrent with a dramatic rise in manag ed care cases. Conclusions: Over the past 15 years, eating disorder hospita l treatment has metamorphozed from long-term treatment of a disorder to sta bilization of acute episodes. For some patients, this change has been delet erious and not cost effective. (C) 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.