Transition to Community: A Program to Help Clients with Schizophrenia Move from Inpatient to Community Care; A Pilot Study

A pilot study of the Transition to Community program tested the feasibility of conducting a larger trial using the same intervention. An advanced practice psychiatric nurse interviewed hospitalized clients, contacted outpatient clinicians, and communicated with clients after discharge via prepaid cellular phones. Client compliance with medications and outpatient appointments, and the number of hospital readmission days during the 50-day period after discharge were examined. The sample size (N = 13) precluded statistically significant data; however, collective results indicated a probable difference on at least one of the variables. Modifications in methods for a multisite trial, based on this pilot project, are identified in the summary.