Research Alert: December 9, 2019

Partial Psychiatric Hospitalization Program Availability in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Hospitals Nationally

To determine partial psychiatric hospitalization program (PPHP) availability, we conducted analyses of the 2016 American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals. More than one-third (38.7%) of all metropolitan hospitals offer any PPHP (i.e., a PPHP offered by the hospital, affiliated healthcare system, or joint venture between the hospital and another entity). In contrast, only 11.4% of nonmetropolitan hospitals offer PPHPs, a statistically significant difference (P < .0001).

The wide range of services involved in PPHPs means providers offering these programs must commit substantial, often limited, resources to them. This could be problematic in nonmetropolitan areas where low revenues and staff shortages are more typical. Indeed, fewer than 5% of nonmetropolitan hospitals included in this study offer these programs in-house. Furthermore, we found that both nonmetropolitan and metropolitan hospitals that provide PPHPs in-house had significantly higher patient volumes and capacities than those that did not directly offer the programs in the hospital. This suggests that patients who do not live near larger hospitals may have limited or no access to PPHPs.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• Illicit Drug and Opioid Use Disorders Among Non-Metropolitan Residents
• Perceived Treatment Need and Utilization for Illicit Drug and Opioid Use Disorders in Non-Metropolitan Areas
• Suicidal Thoughts, Plans, and Attempts by Non-Metropolitan and Metropolitan Residence
• More information about the Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Healthcare Access, Hospitals, Mental Health, Rural Health Disparities, Rural Health Policy, Substance Use and Misuse