A Statistical Method for Determining Suitability for Community Placement

The authors developed a statistically based method for determining whether inpatient or outpatient placement is most appropriate for a given patient. This study assesses the method's accuracy by comparing statistical classifications of a random sample of inpatients at five New York State facilities with the classifications of muitidisciplinary clinical teams. The statistical method proved to be very strong in screening patients who should not be considered for community placement and in four of the five facilities was also strong in identifying appropriate outpatients. The authors discuss the method's implications for outpatient screening and outpatient programs.