Evoked potential indices of an early and late stage of attentional processing were recorded from schizophrenic and normal subjects during dichotic listening tasks. Despite slow and inaccurate detections, the schizophrenic subjects were able to focus selectively to different ears but only at a fast stimulation rate, showing integrity of the early selective stage. They showed an abnormal late stage, indicating inefficiency in processing information from detected targets. Marked deficits at a slow stimulation rate and during divided attention suggest that the schizophrenic attention disorder is one of control and maintenance of a selective processing strategy rather than of general slowness or absence of selectivity.

Quality controls are becoming an important part of our health care system. A medical audit is one way of evaluating quality of care, and this paper describes the results of an audit conducted to investigate the reasons for a prolonged stay on a psychiatric inpatient unit. The results showed a decrease in the mean length of stay over a five year period, although the figure remained substantially above provincial norms. A review of the hospital charts of a random sample of one in six patients whose hospital stay exceeded 30 days was carried out. It revealed that in 50.0% of cases the reasons were "medically acceptable," in 10.3% the reasons were "medically unacceptable" and in 39.7% the reasons were "social and administrative" and beyond the control of the treating psychiatrist. The implication of these results are discussed.

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