[Lowering vocational rehabilitative measures during inpatient psychiatric longterm treatment costs of patients with schizophrenia? Results of a controlled multicenter study].

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the effectiveness and the cost of care for patients treated in vocational rehabilitation programs,although vocational therapy is an essential part of inpatient treatment and community care of patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: As a part of a randomised controlled trial in 5 centres, the long-term direct cost of care for patients with schizophrenia,being treated with different vocational rehabilitation programs during an index-stay in a psychiatric hospital were assessed. results were compared to controls who received non-specific ergo-therapeutic treatment instead. RESULTS: Cost differences between study patients and controls were small and not statistically significant. However, cross-centre costs differed considerably. CONCLUSION: In spite of standardized inclusion criteria and a randomised assignment of study patients, a selection bias, triggered by the differing vocational rehabilitation programs is assumed as a source of cross-centre cost-variation which might be supported by differing service offers in the study regions.