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Abstract
Background: Much attention has been paid to examining the impact of Assertive Outreach management on hospital usage. However, little attempt has been made to examine the role of engagement in reducing hospital usage despite the emphasis placed on engagement when delivering care in such services.
Aims: The main aim of this study was to see if engagement could predict future hospital usage.
Method: An observer rated measure of engagement was completed on 32 clients under the management of an Assertive Outreach Team (AOT) at Time1. A regression was used to see if engagement scores at Time1 could predict hospital usage (admissions and bed days) at Time2.
Results: There were no significant predictors of hospital usage from total engagement scores, individual dimensions of engagement or previous hospital usage. However, certain indices of engagement were found to be more important than others. Previous admissions were shown to account for some of the variance when predicting future admissions. Hospital usage was shown to reduce significantly at Time2 compared with Time1 and pre Assertive Outreach.
Conclusions: Engagement may not be a predictor of hospital usage per se but may provide a platform for other interventions, which may lead to reductions in hospital usage.
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