“We are confident in the quality of care that we provide,” said CHÉOS Scientist Dr. Joseph Puyat, “But we wanted to identify areas that we can improve to optimize mental health care here at St. Paul’s.”
Puyat, along with a team of PHC health professionals and researchers, looked at the clinical charts of people experiencing early psychosis who were admitted to St. Paul’s mental health units. The team collected data on the frequency of mental status exams, administered doses of anti-psychotic medication, and patients’ histories of substance use, violence, diagnosis, and symptoms.
The results, published in Early Intervention in Psychiatry, showed that some components of the approaches to this patient group were inconsistent. In response to these findings, the Mental Health Program team has implemented a number of evidence-based, patient-centred initiatives to improve care and address gaps identified in the study.
Several publications are expected that will analyze the success of these programatic changes and address other findings from the data set. Read the full story on PHC News.
