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Safety of Delivering Eating Disorders Day Treatment Programme on the Virtual Platform in (COVID-19) Pandemic
- Adaora Obiekezie, Claudia Friel, Mohammad Tayeem Pathan
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- Journal:
- BJPsych Open / Volume 8 / Issue S1 / June 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 June 2022, p. S8
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- Article
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Aims
Intensive treatment for eating disorders include day treatment programme and specialist inpatient. COVID-19 pandemic led to lockdown in the UK on the 23rd March 2020. Adult Eating Disorders Day Treatment Programme in Surrey started delivering their care on the virtual platform from that date. It offered a combination of ‘virtual’ only and ‘blended’ care (virtual and in person) for more than a year. This service evaluation examined the safety of delivering intensive eating disorders treatment on the virtual platform.
MethodsData from March 2020 to March 2021 were retrospectively collected from Electronic patient record. Two clinicians collected the data on age, referral origin, accommodation, employment status, diagnosis (subtype), length of illness, comorbid mental and physical health diagnosis, duration of day care treatment, medication, admission weight and BMI, discharge weight and BMI, changes in bloods and ECG, acute hospital admission, risk-to-self events, admissions to Specialist Eating Disorders Unit and reasons for discharge.
ResultsData indicated that 21 patients were admitted in day treatment programme over 1 year period. 10 patients had solely virtual treatment and 11 patients had blended day treatment programme. 11 patients had anorexia nervosa restrictive subtype, 5 patients had Anorexia Binge purge subtype and 5 patients had Anorexia Nervosa, Unspecified.
Average length of illness was 4.49 years. Mean age for the group was 24.7 years and most patients lived with family (n 18) and were unemployed (n 11). More than 2/3rd (76%) patients had comorbid mental health diagnosis and 48% (n 10) had comorbid physical health diagnosis.
Average length of admission was 5.26 months. Mean BMI on admission was 15.3 (Range 12–19) and mean BMI on discharge was 16.9 (Range 13.65–22).
Safety and outcome data indicated that there were no serious incidents recorded in that time period. 1 (5%) patients required admission to acute hospital as their physical health deteriorated. 8 (38%) patients required specialist inpatient admission as the day care did not affect any changes to their eating behaviours, and 4 (19%) patients had events indicating self harm episodes(19%).
ConclusionOur service evaluation data indicated that it is relatively safe to deliver day treatment programme on the virtual platform. Weekly face to face physical health monitoring (weight, BP, Pulse, temperature) and regular physical health investigations (Blood tests and ECG) were integral part of managing risks to health. On the other hand, delivering day treatment programme on the virtual platform has enabled the day treatment programme to prevent any significant outbreak of COVID-19 in a vulnerable group of patients and allowed them to receive uninterrupted support during pandemic.
Before writing that script: use of antipsychotic medication in patients with dementia in a CMHTOA
- Adaora Obiekezie, Roohi Afshan, Jack Healy
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- Journal:
- BJPsych Open / Volume 7 / Issue S1 / June 2021
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 18 June 2021, p. S96
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- Article
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Aims
A 2009 independent review commissioned by the UK government to review the use of antipsychotic medication in patients diagnosed with dementia produced the Time for Action report, often referred to as the Banerjee Report. It highlighted the common practise of using antipsychotics in the treatment of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) and the clinical issues this could raise especially when these medications were not being regularly reviewed. The audti was therefore carried out to determine whether patinets with BPSD in a Community Mental Health Team for Older adults (CMHTOA) in Mid Surrey, who had been diagnosed with BPSD, were being adequately assessed and managed in line with the current guidelines.
MethodPatients with a diagnosis of dementia open to one of three teams in the CMHTOA during the months of October and November 2019 were identified, those being prescribed antipsychotic medication were selected and data from their electronic records collected and analysed to determine if clinicians: a) identified and documented the target behaviours, b) carried out a structured assessment using an ABC chart before commencing medication, c) reviewed the antipsychotic medication 6 weeks after it was commenced.
ResultOf the 87 patients with a diagnosis of Dementia from October to November 2019, 18 were on antipsychotic medication. 100% of these had target behaviours identified and clearly documented, a sixth had a structured assessment prior to starting medication and 61% had been reviewed after the first 6 weeks of starting antipsychotics.
ConclusionThe findings showed that a good proprotion of patients did not have the required structured assessment before commencement of treatment and that more needed to be done by way of improving regular reviews after antipsychotic treatment is commenced.