ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study examined whether outpatients with a psychotic disorder who are at risk of hospitalization can be identified by using data from electronic medical records (EMRs). METHODS: Data from EMRs of outpatients enrolled in two clinics for treatment of psychotic disorders were abstracted. Monthly data were collected for 75 patients over two years. The study examined the association of medication nonadherence, substance use, participation in psychiatric rehabilitation, and long-acting injectable antipsychotic use in any given month with the risk of hospitalization in the subsequent month by using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: The only variable found to increase the relative risk of future hospitalization was recorded medication nonadherence (adjusted relative risk=7.19, p<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that recording medication nonadherence in EMRs is feasible and that these data may be used to identify patients at high risk of future hospitalization, who may require more intensive intervention.
