| Allocation: randomised, with sequence generation and concealment of allocation clearly described.
Blindness: single.
Duration: 12 months at least.
Raters: independent. |
Diagnosis: SMI with a clear definition of SMI from the outset.
N=300.*
History: in need of psychiatric admission.
Sex: both.
Age: any. |
1. Standard Hospital care: focus on outpatient appointments and only occasional emergency domicillary visits. A 9 till 5 service with little team working with or without care management. N=150.
2. CMHT: community and multidisciplinary team focus. A 9 till 5 service and not primarily emergency assessments. N=150. |
Death.
Serious harm to self and others.
Service outcomes: hospital admission, readmissions.
Leaving the study early.
Global and mental state (CGI, binary outcome).**
Use scales as used by Merson a 92 and Tyrer 98.
Satisfaction: family burden, patient satisfaction, relative satisfaction, staff burden (binary data)
Economic data. |
* Size of study with sufficient power to highlight ˜10% difference between groups for primary outcome.
** Primary outcome. |
