Use of Academic Detailing With Audit and Feedback to Improve Antipsychotic Pharmacotherapy

The Impact of Metformin on Weight and Waist Circumference in Patients Treated With Clozapine: A One-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Metformin shows potential in combating clozapine-induced weight gain (CIWG). However, current evidence for its use remains limited. Through an audit we determined the prevalence of metformin use among clozapine-treated patients and its impact on weight and waist circumference (WC).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study examined electronic medical records of community-based clozapine patients under the care of metropolitan community mental health teams within the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) from January 2014 to June 2023. We included patients treated with clozapine both with and without metformin, above 18 years of age, with complete physical monitoring data at baseline, 6, and 12 months.

RESULTS

There were 357 patients, who met study criteria. Metformin was prescribed to 23% of patients, of whom 78% had diabetes. At baseline, WC was > 101 cm in 71% of males and > 87 cm in 86% of females, placing them at increased risk of weight-related comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and death. After 1 year, males and females in the highest risk group for WC-related comorbidities increased to 76.3% and 95.4%, respectively. Co-prescription of metformin with clozapine was associated with unadjusted mean weight loss (-1.67 kg) and decrease in WC (-1.00 cm). Patients not using metformin gained weight (0.68 kg) and WC (2.49 cm). Using a linear mixed-effects models adjusting for repeated measurements, age, sex, and type 2 diabetes, over 12 months, patients treated with metformin were 3.08 kg lighter than those not taking metformin (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54-5.62, p = 0.018). Similar models suggested patients treated with metformin showed an average 2.83 cm decrease in WC compared with those not taking metformin (CI: 0.26-5.40, p = 0.03). There was no significant interaction between difference from baseline in weight or WC and metformin dose (p > 0.05).

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

The prevalence of metformin use for CIWG appears low in this cohort, where over 84% of patients were overweight or obese. Metformin use was associated with a significantly lower incidence of weight and WC gain over 12 months. Pharmacists are crucial for educating clinicians and patients about the benefits of metformin for reducing CIWG.

Academic Detailing Interventions and Evidence-Based Prescribing: A Systematic Review

Importance

Academic detailing (interactive educational outreach) is a widely used strategy to encourage evidence-based prescribing by clinicians.

Objective

To evaluate academic detailing programs targeted at improving prescribing behavior and describe program aspects associated with positive outcomes.

Evidence Review

A systematic search of MEDLINE from April 1, 2007, through December 31, 2022, was performed for randomized trials and nonrandomized studies of academic detailing interventions to improve prescribing. Academic detailing was defined as evidence-based medication education outreach delivered interactively to individuals or small groups of prescribers. Only studies that measured prescribing outcomes were included. Two investigators independently assessed studies for risk of bias using validated assessment tools. Among all studies rated as having low risk of bias and randomized trials rated as having moderate risk of bias, the absolute change in the proportion of patients using the targeted medications and the proportion of studies that led to significant changes in 1 or more prescribing outcome were determined. The data analysis was performed between January 25, 2022, and November 4, 2024.

Findings

The 118 studies identified varied by setting (eg, inpatient, outpatient) and academic detailing delivery (eg, individual vs groups of prescribers). The most common therapeutic targets were antibiotic overuse (32 studies [27%]), opioid prescribing (24 studies [20%]), and management of mental health conditions (16 studies [14%]) and cardiovascular disease (13 studies [11%]). Most studies (66 [56%]) combined academic detailing with other interventions (eg, audit and feedback, electronic health record reminders). Among 36 studies deemed to have the lowest risk of bias, 18 interventions (50%; 95% CI, 33%-67%) led to significant improvements in all prescribing outcomes, and 7 (19%; 95% CI, 8%-36%) led to significant improvements in 1 or more prescribing outcomes. The median absolute change in the proportion of patients using the targeted medication or medications was 4.0% (IQR, 0.3%-11.3%) in the intended direction.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this systematic review of academic detailing interventions addressing evidence-based prescribing, most interventions led to substantial changes in prescribing behavior, although the quality of evidence varied. These findings support the use of academic detailing to bring about more evidence-based prescribing in a variety of clinical settings.

Evaluation of the Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth Study on Population Level Antipsychotic Initiation: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

Background: Antipsychotics carry a higher-risk profile than other psychotropic medications and may be prescribed for youth with conditions in which other first-line treatments are more appropriate. This study aimed to evaluate the population-level effect of the Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY) trial, which aimed to reduce person-days of antipsychotic use among participants. Methods: We conducted an interrupted time series analysis using segmented regression to measure changes in prescribing trends of antipsychotic initiation rates pre-SUAY and post-SUAY trial at four U.S. health systems between 2013 and 2020. Results: In our overall model, adjusted for age and insurance type, antipsychotic initiation rates decreased by 0.73 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.30, 1.16, p = 0.002) prescriptions per 10,000 person-months before the SUAY trial. In the first quarter following the start of the trial, there was an immediate decrease in the rate of antipsychotic initiations of 6.57 (95% CI: 0.99, 12.15) prescriptions per 10,000 person-months. When comparing the posttrial period to the pretrial period, there was an increase of 1.09 (95% CI: 0.32, 1.85) prescriptions per 10,000 person-months, but the increasing rate in the posttrial period alone was not statistically significant (0.36 prescriptions per 10,000 person-months, 95% CI: -0.27, 0.99). Conclusion: The declining trend of antipsychotic initiation seen between 2013 and 2018 (pre-SUAY trial) may have naturally reached a level at which prescribing was clinically warranted and appropriate, resulting in a floor effect. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in the final three quarters of the posttrial period, may also be related to increased antipsychotic medication initiation.

Incorporating clinician insight and care plans into an audit and feedback initiative for antipsychotic prescribing to Medicaid-enrolled youth in Philadelphia

BACKGROUND

Audit and feedback (A/F), which include initiatives like report cards, have an inconsistent impact on clinicians' prescribing behavior. This may be attributable to their focus on aggregate prescribing measures, a one-size-fits-all approach, and the fact that A/F initiatives rarely engage with the clinicians they target.

METHODS

In this study, we describe the development and delivery of a report card that summarized antipsychotic prescribing to publicly-insured youth in Philadelphia, which was introduced by a Medicaid managed care organization in 2020. In addition to measuring aggregate prescribing behavior, the report card included different elements of care plans, including whether youth were receiving polypharmacy, proper medication management, and the concurrent use of behavioral health outpatient services. The A/F initiative elicited feedback from clinicians, which we refer to as an "audit and feedback loop." We also evaluate the impact of the report card by comparing pre-post differences in prescribing measures for clinicians who received the report card with a group of clinicians who did not receive the report card.

RESULTS

Report cards indicated that many youth who were prescribed antipsychotics were not receiving proper medication management or using behavioral health outpatient services alongside the antipsychotic prescription, but that polypharmacy was rare. In their feedback, clinicians who received report cards cited several challenges related to antipsychotic prescribing, such as the logistical difficulties of entering lab orders and family members' hesitancy to change care plans. The impact of the report card was mixed: there was a modest reduction in the share of youth receiving polypharmacy following the receipt of the report card, while other measures did not change. However, we documented a large reduction in the number of youth with one or more antipsychotic prescription fill among clinicians who received a report card.

CONCLUSIONS

A/F initiatives are a common approach to improving the quality of care, and often target specific practices such as antipsychotic prescribing. Report cards are a low-cost and feasible intervention but there is room for quality improvement, such as adding measures that track medication management or eliciting feedback from clinicians who receive report cards. To ensure that the benefits of antipsychotic prescribing outweigh its risks, it is important to promote quality and safety of antipsychotic prescribing within a broader care plan.

Polypharmacotherapy in Psychiatry: Global Insights from a Rapid Online Survey of Psychiatrists

In recent years, an increase in the problem of polypharmacotherapy in psychiatric patients has been observed, including the widespread problem of groups of people taking new psychoactive substances. One reason for this problem may be the poor knowledge of pharmacological interactions in psychiatry. The aim of this study was to explore the opinions and knowledge of psychiatrists from around the world on various aspects related to polypharmacotherapy. A total of 1335 psychiatrists from six continents were included in the study. The respondents’ opinion on the problem of hepatotoxicity in psychiatry was also examined. The greatest discrepancy among psychiatrists from different continents in the answers given concerned the definition of polypharmacotherapy (p < 0.001) and the approach to hepatotoxicity (p < 0.001). It is noteworthy that only about 20% of the psychiatrists surveyed (p < 0.001) believe that polypharmacotherapy is associated with a higher rate of patients’ hospitalisations. The most commonly used type of polypharmacy by psychiatrists was antidepressants and antipsychotics. Most of them also stated that polypharmacy was associated with reduced patient compliance with the doctor’s recommendations related to taking medications due to the increased complexity of the therapy. The continent that diversified the analysed questions to the greatest extent was Africa. Future educational activities for trainee psychiatrists should include more discussion of polypharmacotherapy in psychiatry.

Performance of a Supervisor Observational Coding System and an Audit and Feedback Intervention

Workplace-based clinical supervision is common in community based mental health care for youth and families and could be a leveraged to scale and improve the implementation of evidence-based treatment (EBTs). Accurate methods are needed to measure, monitor, and support supervisor performance with limited disruption to workflow. Audit and Feedback (A&F) interventions may offer some promise in this regard. The study-a randomized controlled trial with 60 clinical supervisors measured longitudinally for 7 months-had two parts: (1) psychometric evaluation of an observational coding system for measuring adherence and competence of EBT supervision and (2) evaluation of an experimental Supervisor Audit and Feedback (SAF) intervention on outcomes of supervisor adherence and competence. All supervisors recorded and uploaded weekly supervision sessions for 7 months, and those in the experimental condition were provided a single, monthly web-based feedback report. Psychometric performance was evaluated using measurement models based in Item Response Theory, and the effect of the SAF intervention was evaluated using mixed-effects regression models. The observational instrument performed well across psychometric indicators of dimensionality, rating scale functionality, and item fit; however, coder reliability was lower for competence than for adherence. Statistically significant A&F effects were largely in the expected directions and consistent with hypotheses. The observational coding system performed well, and a monthly electronic feedback report showed promise in maintaining or improving community-based clinical supervisors' adherence and, to a lesser extent, competence. Limitations discussed include unknown generalizability to the supervision of other EBTs.

Most Second-Generation Antipsychotic Prescriptions in Community Practice Are Neither FDA-Approved nor Within Prescribing Guideline Recommendations

OBJECTIVE

Second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) prescription use has become increasingly prevalent in the pediatric population, despite metabolic adverse effects. A significant number of SGA medications are prescribed for indications that are not approved by the FDA. This study aimed to quantify clinician adherence to the FDA and professional society indication, age, and dosing guidelines when prescribing SGA medications for pediatric patients.

METHODS

We used electronic health record data from 3 health care systems. We analyzed outpatient encounters where a pediatric patient was prescribed an SGA during an 18-month time frame. Clinician prescribing patterns were compared to a therapeutic regimen table created using professional society guidelines and FDA medication labels.

RESULTS

Most of the encounters listed an indication that was not documented as a recommended use (84.3%). Most prescriptions aligned with the generalized dose guidelines (93.8%) and age guidelines (94.9%). Clinicians were more likely to follow indication guidelines when prescribing risperidone, the highest adherence medication, compared with quetiapine, the lowest adherence medication (odds ratio [OR], 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-6.0). Compared with prescriptions for younger children, clinicians were more likely to follow indication guidelines for children aged 13 to 15 years (OR, 2.8; 95% CI, 1.1-7.2) and 16 to 18 years (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.2-8.1).

CONCLUSION

Community clinicians overall demonstrated a low level of adherence to indication guidelines when prescribing SGA medications to pediatric populations, while maintaining higher adherence to age and dosing guidelines. Older children were more likely to receive an SGA prescription for recommended indications compared with younger children.

Safer use of antipsychotics in youth (SUAY) pragmatic trial protocol

BACKGROUND

Programs such as the Pediatric Access Line in Washington state have shown decreases in antipsychotic medication use by youth with non-psychotic disorders. Program outcomes have been studied with observational designs. This manuscript describes the protocol for Targeted and Safer Use of Antipsychotics in Youth (SUAY), a randomized controlled trial of psychiatrist review of prescriptions and facilitated access to psychosocial care. The aim of the intervention is to reduce the number of person-days of antipsychotic use among participants.

METHODS

Recruitment occurs at 4 health systems. Targeted enrollment is 800 youth aged 3-17 years. Clinicians are block randomized to intervention versus usual care prior to the study. Youth are nested within the arm of the prescribing clinician. Clinicians in the intervention group receive an EHR-based best practice alert with options to expedite access to psychosocial care and all medication orders are reviewed by a child and adolescent psychiatrist with feedback provided to the prescriber. The primary outcome is person-days of antipsychotic medication use in the 6 months following the initial order. All randomized individuals contribute data regardless of their level of participation (including declining all services).

DISCUSSION

The trial has been approved by the institutional review boards at each of the 4 sites. The intervention has 4 novel design features including automated recruitment using a best practice alert, psychiatrist medication order review and consultation, telephone navigation to psychosocial care, and telemental health visits. Recruitment began in March of 2018 and will be completed in June 2020. Follow-up will be completed December 31, 2020.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03448575.

Improving quality of antipsychotic polypharmacy: a pilot study

Background: Concurrent prescription of more than one type of antipsychotic for the same patient - antipsychotic polypharmacy (APP) - is associated with increased incidence of side effects, uncertain therapeutic benefit and general guidelines advise against it. Nevertheless, APP is common and there is little evidence about possible interventions to improve practice.Aims: To investigate the prevalence and documentation quality of APP in specialized psychiatric care and assess the feasibility and effect of a simple intervention to improve clinical practice.Methods: We examined the prevalence and the quality of documentation of APP in medical records from a large inpatient treatment department before and 6 months after an intervention, which consisted of giving feedback to doctors on their prescription practices as well as teaching about current guidelines. Prescription and documentation before and after intervention were compared between intervention and control wards.Results: One hundred and twenty-one medical records were examined at baseline. 43% of these had APP, of these 27% was satisfactory documented. After the intervention, the proportion with APP was reduced from 42% to 29% in the intervention group. There was a statistically significant interaction effect of the intervention group and the after-intervention condition on this reduction. The percentage with satisfactory documentation of APP was increased after the intervention in both groups, but we found no corresponding interaction effect.Conclusion: APP is prevalent in inpatient treatment of patients with mainly psychotic disorders but documentation of this is insufficient. Simple education and feedback on prescription and records documentation practices may increase adherence to guidelines.