Practice patterns and hospitalization rates.

Basic indicators of community support program treatment outcome as well as the degree to which the programs conform to practice guidelines for major depression are evaluated. Hospitalization rates subsequent to treatment are measured, and the correlation between hospitalization rates and practice patterns is determined. Data sets that describe outpatient and inpatient services over a 4-year period, but do not include common person identifiers were analyzed using probabilistic population estimates. Results indicate that there is substantial variation among the community programs in practice patterns and hospitalization rates, and the two are negatively correlated.