Comparative evaluation of educational-medical and just medical psychiatric wards in terms of diagnosis and treatment process in schizophrenic patients at Razi psychiatric hospital

Schizophrenia is one of the most important psychiatric disorders and the majority of the mental hospital beds occupied by these patients. In this study، patients suffering from schizophrenia treated in educational-medical ward or just medical wards were compared in terms of diagnostic and treatment processes. This cross-sectional study was conducted on schizophrenic patients admitted to the Tehran Razi psychiatry hospital between 2011 and 2012. A total of 300 medical records were randomly selected from both educational-medical (n=150) and just medical ward (n=150). The selected medical records were compared regarding to diagnosis، treatment، duration of hospitalization، use of electroconvulsive therapy، history of previous hospitalization and patients efficiency. First-generation antipsychotics were the most used drugs in medical ward (56. 7%) and second-generations antipsychotics (54. 7%) were more used in educational-medical ward (p<0. 05). The use of psychosocial treatments was considerably higher in educational-medical ward (34% vs. 13. 3%). Electroconvulsive therapy was used more than three times in medical ward compared to educational-medical ward (p<0. 05). Mean (±SD) duration of hospitalization was 39±35 days and 58±39 days in medical ward and educational-medical ward، respectively (P<0. 05). It seems that comparing to medical wards، educational-medical wards were more consistent with new guidelines in the world regarding to excellence of second-generations، use of psychosocial treatments، use of electroconvulsive therapy and hospital stay.