Forms of psychiatric remuneration unlike daily taxes are of increasing interest to improve cost-effectiveness and quality of care, particularly for inpatient care. Accordingly, increasing rates of readmissions and long hospital stays are of critical relevance.

In 2009, the Canton of Zurich introduced a new remuneration approach in inpatient psychiatry. the aim is to reduce early readmissions and length of stay.

This study aims to evaluate the new remuneration system with respect to readmissions and length of stay.

We investigated data of about 40000 patients staying in psychiatric hospital between 2007 and 2010 in the Canton of Zurich. About 10000 of those patients were admitted to the University Hospital of Psychiatry introducing a new remuneration system in 2009. It consists of variable daily rates and a fix lump sum (on day 6) charging hospital stays within 28 days. We descriptively analysed readmission rates and length of stay in the respective hospital and compared those data to the rest of the Canton.

Preliminary findings show that the mean length of stay in the University Hospital of Psychiatry remained stable over time. Since 2009 there was a decrease of readmissions within 30 days in the respective hospital compared to the Canton.

Our results suggest that the new remuneration approach might reduce early readmissions. An effect on length of stay is not yet visible.