Changes in Clinical Management of Patients with Schizophrenia Treated with Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics (LAIs), Including Telepsychiatry Use, During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat
; 19: 623-634, 2023.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2261870
ABSTRACT
Purpose:
The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted care of patients with schizophrenia treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs). This study (OASIS-MAPS) examined how clinical sites adapted operations and used telepsychiatry to maintain standard of care for these patients during the pandemic.Methods:
Two online surveys (initial October-November 2020, N = 35; follow-up July-September 2021, N = 21) were completed by a principal investigator (PI) or PI-appointed designee at sites participating in the OASIS study (NCT03919994). Survey responses were analyzed descriptively.Results:
At the time of the initial survey, all 35 participating sites were using variants of telepsychiatry, with 20 sites adopting it after the pandemic started. Most sites reported no negative impacts of the pandemic on medication adherence, although approximately 20% of sites reported decreased adherence for LAIs. Twelve sites (34%) reported switching patients with schizophrenia from LAIs to oral antipsychotic medications, while 11 sites (31%) reported switching patients from shorter to longer injection interval LAIs during the pandemic. Most sites did not experience difficulties in implementing or expanding telepsychiatry services, although lower reimbursement rate for telepsychiatry and patients' lack of access to and training on relevant technologies were the most frequently reported barriers.Conclusion:
Changes made by sites after the pandemic onset were viewed by almost all participants as satisfactory for maintaining standard of care. Almost all participants thought that the use of telepsychiatry services would continue after the pandemic in a hybrid manner combining telepsychiatry and office visits. Ensuring that patients have equitable access to telepsychiatry will be important in the post-pandemic future.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
/
Variants
Language:
English
Journal:
Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
NDT.S394220
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