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Randomized controlled trial of teaching practice nurses to carry out structured assessments of patients receiving depot antipsychotic injections

Randomized controlled trial of teaching practice nurses to carry out structured assessments of patients receiving depot antipsychotic injections
Randomized controlled trial of teaching practice nurses to carry out structured assessments of patients receiving depot antipsychotic injections
Background. A third of patients with schizophrenia are out of contact with secondary services. Many of these patients receive maintenance medication as depot antipsychotics from practice nurses, most of whom have negligible training in mental health. Aim. To examine the impact of a structured assessment on the process of care and clinical status of schizophrenia patients by practice nurses who received a one-day training course. Method. All identified patients were randomly allocated to structured assessments and outcome, measured by the number of assessments and the changes in care recorded in primary care notes. A comprehensive assessment of clinical and social functioning and level of unmet need in intervention and control patients was carried out after one year by an independent researcher. Results. A high rate of consultation and clinical need in this patient group was demonstrated. Practice nurses were more diligent in carrying out assessments than general practitioners (GPs), but there was no impact on treatment patterns or clinical outcome. Conclusions. Structured assessments by practice nurses are feasible with this patient group, but training, targeted at both nurses and GPs, is needed if this intervention is to translate into health gain.
time, primary-care, schizophrenia, london, secondary, illness, trial, teaching, practice nurse, patients, controlled trial, services, primary care, practitioners, england, randomized controlled trial, controlled-trial, intervention, treatment, general-practitioners, nurses, gps, practice nurses, burns, term mentally-ill, outcome, randomized controlled trials, health, care
0960-1643
1845-1848
Burns, T.
f570817b-410b-491a-a4d1-ed943149ef6b
Millar, E.
69f22838-22dc-4c88-8205-0af97850cec2
Garland, C.
514b92d2-c48a-46f3-98ea-262ce2c0aa13
Kendrick, T.
1aee2919-abd7-452c-8a0f-5b1ed22d58b3
Chisholm, B.
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5
Ross, F.
ec0958f8-b992-4e4a-b7e3-c474600390ba
Burns, T.
f570817b-410b-491a-a4d1-ed943149ef6b
Millar, E.
69f22838-22dc-4c88-8205-0af97850cec2
Garland, C.
514b92d2-c48a-46f3-98ea-262ce2c0aa13
Kendrick, T.
1aee2919-abd7-452c-8a0f-5b1ed22d58b3
Chisholm, B.
c697a72c-c698-469d-8ac2-f00df40583e5
Ross, F.
ec0958f8-b992-4e4a-b7e3-c474600390ba

Burns, T., Millar, E., Garland, C., Kendrick, T., Chisholm, B. and Ross, F. (1998) Randomized controlled trial of teaching practice nurses to carry out structured assessments of patients receiving depot antipsychotic injections. British Journal of General Practice, 48 (437), 1845-1848.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background. A third of patients with schizophrenia are out of contact with secondary services. Many of these patients receive maintenance medication as depot antipsychotics from practice nurses, most of whom have negligible training in mental health. Aim. To examine the impact of a structured assessment on the process of care and clinical status of schizophrenia patients by practice nurses who received a one-day training course. Method. All identified patients were randomly allocated to structured assessments and outcome, measured by the number of assessments and the changes in care recorded in primary care notes. A comprehensive assessment of clinical and social functioning and level of unmet need in intervention and control patients was carried out after one year by an independent researcher. Results. A high rate of consultation and clinical need in this patient group was demonstrated. Practice nurses were more diligent in carrying out assessments than general practitioners (GPs), but there was no impact on treatment patterns or clinical outcome. Conclusions. Structured assessments by practice nurses are feasible with this patient group, but training, targeted at both nurses and GPs, is needed if this intervention is to translate into health gain.

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More information

Published date: November 1998
Keywords: time, primary-care, schizophrenia, london, secondary, illness, trial, teaching, practice nurse, patients, controlled trial, services, primary care, practitioners, england, randomized controlled trial, controlled-trial, intervention, treatment, general-practitioners, nurses, gps, practice nurses, burns, term mentally-ill, outcome, randomized controlled trials, health, care

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 61697
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/61697
ISSN: 0960-1643
PURE UUID: b8af8e6e-251d-4235-9378-b817bffd3756
ORCID for B. Chisholm: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1618-9381

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 Apr 2009
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 01:43

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Contributors

Author: T. Burns
Author: E. Millar
Author: C. Garland
Author: T. Kendrick
Author: B. Chisholm ORCID iD
Author: F. Ross

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