Functions of short-term partial hospitalization in a comprehensive system of care.

An increasing number of short-term partial-hospital programs are being created as alternatives to standard inpatient care in the treatment of acutely ill patients. Despite this increase, both referring clinicians and partial-hospital staff are often unclear about the capabilities and limitations of such programs. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical functions of a short-term partial hospital within a comprehensive system of care. The findings include a description of the five functions identified for the program under study and a review of the process by which these clinical functions were accomplished over the partial-hospital stay. Implications of the findings for program planning, patient selection, and clinical training are discussed.