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OBJECTIVE: To investigate administration of pro re nata (PRN) medications and nurse-initiated medications (NIMs) in Australian aged care services over a 12-month period. DESIGN: Twelve-month longitudinal audit of medication administrations. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred ninety-two residents of 10 aged care services in regional Victoria, Australia. METHODS: Records of PRN and NIM administration were extracted from electronic and hard copy medication charts. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate medication administration per person-month. Poisson regression was used to estimate predictors of PRN administration. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up of 12 months (interquartile range 10-12 months), 93% of residents were administered a PRN medication and 41% of residents an NIM on 21,147 and 552 occasions, respectively. The mean number of any PRN administration was 5.85 per person-month. The most frequently administered PRN medications per person-month were opioids 1.54, laxatives 0.96, benzodiazepines 0.72, antipsychotics 0.48, paracetamol 0.46, and topical preparations 0.42. Three-quarters of residents prescribed a PRN opioid or PRN benzodiazepine and two-thirds of residents prescribed a PRN antipsychotic had the medication administered on 1 or more occasions over the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Most residents were administered PRN medications. Administration was in line with Australian regulations and institutional protocols. However, the high frequency of PRN analgesic, laxative, and psychotropic medication administration highlights the need for regular clinical review to ensure ongoing safe and appropriate use.

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Few studies have examined effectiveness and tolerability of risperidone long-acting injections (RLAI) in the early phase of a schizophrenia spectrum (SS) disorder using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design. Eighty-five patients in early phase of an SS disorder were randomized to receive either oral second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs; n=41) or RLAI (n=44) over two years. Analyses were conducted on eligible participants (n=77) for the stabilization (maximum 18 weeks) and maintenance phases (up to Week 104) on primary outcome measures of time to stabilization and relapse, change in symptoms and safety, and comparisons made across the two groups. Both groups showed improvement on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scores. There were no time X group interactions on any of the primary outcome measures. Post hoc examination revealed that the RLAI group showed greater change on CGI-S and PANSS negative symptom scores during the stabilization phase, while the oral group reached the same level of improvement during the maintenance phase. The current exploratory study suggests that-within an RCT design-RLAI and oral SGAs are equally effective and have similar safety profiles in patients in the early phase of SS disorders. Thus, RLAI offers no advantage to patients in early phase of SS disorders, but is likely to be effective and safe for those who may have problems with adherence and may either choose to take it or be prescribed under conditions of external control such as community treatment orders.

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OBJECTIVE: To assess quality of health care provided in a representative Canadian mental health service using conformance to evidence-based treatment recommendations, and to examine differences from published US results. METHOD: We used a cross-sectional cohort design involving a randomly selected sample of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia attending 1 of 3 mental health clinics in 1 Canadian regional health system. The sample size was calculated to detect differences with the US sample. Conformance criteria were based on a published protocol. Data were collected using patient interviews and a structured review of health records. Conformance to 9 key Schizophrenia Patient Outcomes Research Team recommendations was assessed. RESULTS: Conformance ranged between 58% and 90% for pharmacological recommendations, and 0% to 81% for psychosocial recommendations. No patients who met criteria for assertive case management had been referred to an assertive case management team. Significant differences in conformance rates to some treatment recommendations were found between Canadian and published US results. CONCLUSIONS: It proved possible to assess health care quality using process measures of conformance to treatment recommendations. Conformance to clinical recommendations for pharmacotherapy is higher than for psychosocial therapies. The absence of barriers to access for pharmacological therapies likely enhances the higher conformance to these recommendations. Limited or variable access to psychosocial services, specifically assertive community treatment, likely negatively affects conformance to psychosocial treatment recommendations. Methodological limitations preclude drawing conclusions on comparisons between Canadian and US services.

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OBJECTIVE: The purpose of study was to identify a list of performance measures for schizophrenia treatment services and to assemble a multistakeholder group to reach consensus on a core list. METHODS: The study was conducted in two stages: first, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify a comprehensive list of measures; second, a consensus-building technique, the Delphi process, was used with participants from six groups of stakeholders: schizophrenia experts, mental health clinicians, mental health administrators, the payer (the Alberta Ministry of Health and Wellness), patients, and family members. Thirty stakeholders participated in three rounds of self-completed questionnaires. The degree of consensus achieved in the Delphi process was defined as the semi-interquartile range for each measure. RESULTS: Ninety-seven measures were identified in the literature review. The Delphi method reduced the list to 36 measures rated as essential. The measures address eight domains of service-level evaluation: acceptability, accessibility, appropriateness, competence, continuity, effectiveness, efficiency, and safety. Despite the diversity in backgrounds of the stakeholder groups, the Delphi technique was effective in moving participants' ratings toward consensus through successive questionnaire rounds. The resulting measures reflected the interests of all stakeholders. CONCLUSIONS: Several further steps are required before these measures are implemented and include working toward reliability and validity of specific measures, assessing the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of collecting the data, and finally, undertaking risk adjustment for outcome measures.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a risk adjustment model based on hospital admissions that would enable comparison between services for patients with a first episode of psychosis. METHODS: Candidate predictor variables for hospital admission were identified in a literature review, from which an expert panel selected 12 potential risk adjustment variables by using a structured process, the Template for Risk Adjustment Information Transfer. Multivariable logistic regression modeling with the 12 variables was used to develop models in one cohort of first-episode psychosis patients (N=297); these models were validated with data from a second cohort (N=309). The C statistic, a measure of model discrimination, was calculated to assess model performance. RESULTS: In the data from the development sample, prior hospitalization was the only significant predictor of hospital admissions within one year of enrollment in the first-episode psychosis program (odds ratio [OR]=1.88, p=.05). Hospital admissions after two and three years from admission to the program were significantly associated with higher levels of initial positive symptoms (OR=1.07, p=.02; OR=1.06, p=.02, respectively), and prior hospitalizations (OR=2.72, p=.001; OR=3.34, p<.001, respectively). The logistic models performed well, with C statistics ranging from .72 to .74 for the three outcomes, where a value of 1.0 implies perfect model discrimination. In the validation data the C statistics were slightly lower, ranging from .67 to .72. CONCLUSIONS: According to the C statistic estimates, the model developed provided good discrimination and was relatively robust in predicting hospitalization of first-episode psychosis patients.

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OBJECTIVE: To determine which methods best prepare psychiatry residents for the certification exam, and ultimately for practice, to facilitate appropriate residency program curriculum changes. METHOD: We sent an anonymous survey to all final year (that is, PGY5) Canadian university-affiliated psychiatry residents, regarding frequency and diversity of observed interviews, form of feedback delivery, research and other training experiences, self-perception of preparedness and knowledge base, and management strategies for exam anxiety 6 months before and immediately after the certification exam. RESULTS: There was a 52% response rate. Residents from across Canada identified the following factors as enabling successful exam completion: regular mock orals supervised by Royal College examiners, clinical experience with exposure to a wide spectrum of pathologies, individual and group study time, and appropriate anxiety management. Preparation for the oral exam involving sample case vignettes with presentation and formulation skills training was considered to be essential but was identified as an area of educational and experiential weakness in some programs. CONCLUSIONS: To prepare psychiatry residents for successful completion of their certification exam, programs should incorporate regular mock orals observed by Royal College examiners throughout residency training (not just in PGY2 and PGY5). Programs should also incorporate training in case vignettes, training in oral exam skills, and teaching of anxiety-management strategies.

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