Online medical student OSCE examinations during the first three years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to three years pre-pandemic: An Australian experience in psychiatry and addiction medicine.

PURPOSE: We have evaluated the final-year Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine (PAM) summative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) examinations in a four-year graduate medical degree program, for the previous three years as a baseline comparator, and during three years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022). METHODS: A de-identified analysis of medical student summative OSCE examination performance, and comparative review for the 3 years before, and for each year of the pandemic. RESULTS: Internal reliability in test scores as measured by R-squared remained the same or increased following the start of the pandemic. There was a significant increase in mean test scores after the start of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic for combined OSCE scores for all final-year disciplines, as well as for the PAM role-play OSCEs, but not for the PAM mental state examination OSCEs. CONCLUSIONS: Changing to online OSCEs during the pandemic was related to an increase in scores for some but not all domains of the tests. This is in line with a nascent body of literature on medical teaching and examination following the start of the pandemic. Further research is needed to optimise teaching and examination in a post-pandemic medical school environment.

Commentary on alignment of medical student assessment and vocational training in psychiatry and addiction medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To comment upon the potential for alignment of medical student assessment and vocational specialist training through the RANZCP-CanMEDS model of Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) and Workplace-Based Assessments (WBAs). We discuss a specific post hoc example of such an alignment in an Australian graduate medical school in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. CONCLUSIONS: Vocational training models of assessment, such as the RANZCP specialist training program for psychiatrists, can potentially be mapped to medical student education in formative and summative assessment through CanMEDs-based EPAs and WBAs, to assist in transition to specialist training.

Final-year medical student Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine synchronous summative tele-assessments during a COVID-19 Delta-variant stay-at-home lockdown.

OBJECTIVE: We describe the planning, process and evaluation of final-year Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine summative assessments in a four-year graduate medical degree program, during a COVID-19 Delta-variant public health stay-at-home lockdown. CONCLUSIONS: We conducted separate written and clinical synchronous (real-time simultaneous) tele-assessments. We used online assessment technology with students, examiners and simulated patients, all in different physical locations. Medical students' examination performance showed a good range. This was comparable to other discipline stations, and performance in previous years. There was no differential performance of students through the day of the assessments.

Conduct and evaluation of final-year medical student summative assessments in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine during COVID-19: an Australian University Medical School experience.

OBJECTIVE: To describe and share with the medical education community, the conduct and evaluation of summative graduate medical student assessments in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine during COVID-19 at an Australian university. METHODS: Summative assessments were redesigned as follows: written assessments were administered via an online platform (WATTLE), while the Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE) were conducted via a secure video-conferencing software (Zoom). RESULTS: Our preliminary analysis of the summative assessments indicated that both examiners and students adapted to the format, with overall performance of the students showing no variation due to timing of the assessment (earlier versus later in the day) and performances similar to face-to-face assessments in previous years. Examiners also expressed positive feedback on the assessment process. CONCLUSIONS: Our graduate fourth-year medical student summative assessments were effectively conducted using online and video-conferencing software in accordance with existing COVID-19 pandemic public health measures for physical distancing and hygiene.

Flattening the curve of COVID-19 for medical education in psychiatry and addiction medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the context, challenges and responses to COVID-19 public health measures for medical education in psychiatry, with an emphasis on sharing strategies for ongoing COVID-19 challenges. CONCLUSION: The rapidity of COVID-19 public health measures instituted in Australia required swift action for medical education to address lockdowns of student clinical placements. The responses included a transition to interim online learning followed by a return to truncated clinical placements renegotiated to conform to public health measures. Adjustment of formative and summative assessment has been necessary. However, further contingencies may emerge depending upon the overall progress of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new graduate medical school curriculum in Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine: reflections on a decade of development.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to reflect upon the rationale, design and development of the Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine curriculum at the Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the development of the fourth-year curriculum of a four-year graduate medical degree was a complex evolutionary process.

Salt in the soul, steel in the eye and caution towards the winds: a mariner's guide for navigating a new academic psychiatry department.

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes principles and advice regarding the development of a new academic psychiatry department within a medical school for aspiring academic psychiatrists. We describe general principles based on the experience of the foundation of the Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at the Australian National University Medical School. CONCLUSIONS: Perspicacious leadership and organisation are the foundation for an academic psychiatry department which delivers teaching, research and broader intellectual engagement with the medical and broader community.

Differences in biologic dose-escalation, non-biologic and steroid intensification among three anti-TNF agents: evidence from clinical practice.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate prevalence of dose escalation among RA patients in normal clinical practice treated with etanercept, adalimumab or infliximab and to estimate its economic impact. METHODS: A retrospective observational study of 739 patients with RA receiving continuous treatment with etanercept (n=319), adalimumab (n=313) or infliximab (n=107) for 18 months. Dose escalation, intensification of concomitant DMARDs and risk of dose escalation were evaluated, as well as costs. RESULTS: Significantly more patients prescribed adalimumab (10%, p<0.001) or infliximab (35%, p<0.001) experienced dose escalation compared with patients treated with etanercept (3%). DMARD or steroid dose adjustment, when added as criteria of escalation, occurred more often among patients treated with adalimumab (28%; p=0.022) or infliximab (47%; p<0.001) than those prescribed etanercept (19%). Independent of confounding covariates, hazard of dose escalation was significantly higher for either infliximab (28.1-fold) or adalimumab (4.9-fold) relative to etanercept. Escalation among subjects treated with either infliximab or adalimumab incurred statistically significant increases in total cost of care compared with non-escalators whereas such differences observed for subjects treated with etanercept were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving monoclonal antibody therapies, adalimumab or infliximab, had significantly higher rates of dose escalation than patients receiving the soluble TNF receptor, etanercept, and related costs were higher.

Chronic nonmalignant pain - the rational use of opioid medication.

Every general practitioner has patients with chronic nonmalignant pain issues. At some point the possibility of using prescribed opioids is raised. General practitioners need to make the decision to initiate opioids cautiously, as a significant number of patients will gain little long term relief from these drugs, and some will exhibit problems resulting from dependence to the prescribed drug. For these reasons, patients and the prescriber should agree to a drug trial before agreement is reached to prescribe for the long term. All prescribing needs to be under strict control, with patients picking up medication from a pharmacy relatively frequently. If the GP feels they have lost control of the situation, urgent advice from a specialist in pain or drug and alcohol medicine should be sought.

Estimation of symptom-free days in generalized anxiety disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The efficacy of treatments for generalized anxiety disorder has usually been measured in terms of response or remission of symptoms. These endpoints, however, may not adequately capture the transient periods of symptom abatement and relapse characteristic of chronic psychiatric disorders. Here, we evaluate the measurement of treatment effectiveness in terms of the number of symptom-free days (SFDs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A pooled analysis was performed of data from five manufacturer-initiated trials of venlafaxine extended-release (XR) in patients with generalized anxiety disorder without co-morbid major depressive disorder. The trials were randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and of 8 weeks duration (total intent-to-treat population 1295 venlafaxine XR, 544 placebo). Two of the studies had extensions up to 6 months (intent-to-treat population 514 venlafaxine XR, 253 placebo). The patients were >or= 18 years of age with a Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A) score of >or= 18. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: SFDs were estimated using weekly scores on the HAM-A. Values of 7 and 0 SFDs, respectively, were assigned to each week the patient had a HAM-A score of or= 18 (the minimum threshold for anxiety). Fractional SFD values were assigned proportionately to weekly HAM-A scores between 7 and 18. RESULTS: The median (inter-quartile range) SFDs were 19 (2-36) for venlafaxine XR and 10 (0-27) for placebo in the 8-week studies (p < 0.0001). In the 6-month extension studies the SFDs were 102 (27-139) for venlafaxine XR and 36 (0-94) for placebo (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: SFDs differentiate between active treatment and placebo in clinical trials and may be an appropriate measure of treatment effectiveness.

Continuity of antidepressant treatment for adults with depression in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: Continuation of antidepressant treatment for depression beyond the first months helps to consolidate treatment response and to reduce the risk of early relapse. The authors sought to characterize the rate and pattern of antidepressant discontinuation among adults initiating antidepressant treatment for depression. METHOD: Data were drawn from the household component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 1996-2001. Analysis was limited to data for adults age 18 years and older (N=829) who initiated antidepressant treatment for depression and who 1) discontinued treatment during the first 30 days of treatment, 2) completed the first 30 days of treatment and then discontinued treatment during the following 60 days, or 3) continued treatment for more than 90 days after treatment initiation. RESULTS: A majority of the patients discontinued antidepressant therapy during the first 30 days (42.4%). Only 27.6% of the patients continued antidepressant therapy for more than 90 days. Antidepressant discontinuation during the first 30 days of treatment was significantly more common among Hispanics (53.8%) than non-Hispanics (41.3%); patients with fewer than 12 years of education (50.8%), compared with those with 12 or more years (39.3%); and patients with low family incomes (50.2%), compared with those with medium or high family incomes (38.6%). Patients were significantly more likely to continue antidepressant treatment beyond 30 days if they received psychotherapy (68.0% versus 43.7%), completed 12 or more years of education (64.8% versus 52.0%), or had private health insurance (60.1% versus 50.8%). Among those who continued antidepressants beyond 30 days, antidepressant continuity during the subsequent 60 days was significantly associated with fair or poor pretreatment self-rated mental health and physical health, treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, and psychotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Early discontinuation of antidepressant therapy is widespread in the community treatment of depression, especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged patients. Provision of psychotherapy and selection of an appropriate antidepressant medication may reduce the risk of discontinuation during the first 3 months of antidepressant treatment for depression.

Naltrexone for opioid dependence. An additional tool for general practitioners.

BACKGROUND: For over two years, naltrexone has been available as a treatment for opioid dependence. It is a useful addition to the limited range of available drug treatments. OBJECTIVE: This article outlines the major pharmacological features of naltrexone and provides some guidelines on its use in opioid dependence for general practitioners. DISCUSSION: In the past, options for GPs in assisting opioid dependent patients have been limited, and referral to alcohol and drug programs has usually been the most practical response. Over the past five years there has been a significant increase in the range of available treatments. One relatively recent addition to the options is the drug naltrexone (Revia) which can be used by the GP with rewarding results if patients are carefully chosen and safety guidelines for the drug are adhered to.