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There remain problems with satisfaction scales. Qualitative approaches to examine patients' experiences in hospital and the causes of dissatisfaction are recommended.

It is premature to define an optimal configuration for home based care services. The need for introducing differing components of such care will depend on what is currently available locally. Where regular home visiting to psychotic patients plus a broad service model incorporating health and social care objectives are provided, major reductions in in-patient care are not currently to be anticipated by service re-configurations.

No abstract