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The following is a summary of “Assessing the impact of an innovate behavioral health clinic: a retrospective cohort study,” published in the March 2025 issue of BMC Psychiatry by Schwartz et al. 

Patients in a mental health crisis often visit the emergency department (ED), leading to higher costs and worse outcomes. A behavioral health clinic (BHC) was established to offer critical outpatient services. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the BHC’s impact on length of stay (LOS), psychiatric rehospitalization, and ED visits. They also analyzed how patient characteristics interacted with these outcomes. 

They conducted a retrospective review of medical records for adults hospitalized in 2019 (pre-BHC) and 2022 (post-BHC) at a community-based health system in the southeastern United States. Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney U tests analyzed primary outcomes, while Poisson and logistic regression analyzed secondary outcomes. The study was exempt from review by the health system and university IRBs. 

The results showed a longer mean LOS (+1.26 days, P = 0.001) after BHC implementation, with reduced 30-day (-10.3%, P < 0.001) and 1-year (-28.2%, P < 0.001) rehospitalization and lower 30-day (-8.3%, P = 0.004) and 1-year (-13.5%, P < 0.001) ED visits. Schizophrenia and LAI use increased LOS, while being uninsured decreased it. Male gender and schizophrenia increased ED visits, while identifying as White or Caucasian, being uninsured or privately insured, and LAI use decreased them. 

Investigators found that the BHC improved patient outcomes, and certain patient characteristics independently influenced these effects. 

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-025-06669-8