Partial hospitalization. An alternative to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization.

Partial hospitalization programs provide alternatives to traditional inpatient hospitalization. The initial optimism generated by the development of partial hospital programs has been moderated by the realization that it is quite difficult to make changes in mental health care, even though the effectiveness of traditional approaches has not been demonstrated. Research findings about partial hospital programs have provided information that many persons formerly treated as inpatients can be treated in partial hospital programs, probably at an economic savings. Several conceptual models are briefly reviewed for providing direction and rationale to guide thinking, planning, and decision making regarding client care. Continual effort must be given to the development and expansion of useful models and sets of interventions for care directed not only at symptom reduction but toward facilitation of health induction. Partial hospitalization programs have the potential to provide the settings and services to meet this need. Changing times offer nurses new opportunities to consider alternatives for providing psychiatric care. It is a challenge which nurses are well prepared to accept. To ignore the current situation and the needs of clients, families, and communities for these services would be to lose an opportunity for nurses to share a significant role in providing services to psychiatric clients.