The impact of a community screening program on psychiatric hospital admissions.

A rural CMHC screening program significantly reduced admission rates to a state hospital compared with hospital-based screening. Personnel from CMHCs in three counties evaluated each potential admission to the hospital to evaluate their need for hospitalization. Hospital staff screened admissions from the remaining counties of the state. Both community and hospital screening resulted in significant reductions in admissions with community screening producing larger declines. Additional possible advantages of community screening for improved treatment outcomes, efficient utilization of community resources, and reduced costs are discussed.