The role of referral pathway to early intervention services for psychosis on 2-year inpatient and emergency service use.

This study examined the relationship between terminal referral source and subsequent urgent health service use in a Canadian early intervention service (EIS) for psychosis. Administrative health record data of emergency and inpatient mental health service use over a 2-year follow up from entry to EIS were retrospectively analyzed (n = 515). Negative binomial regression models were used to assess for the relationship between referral source and care outcomes. Compared to those referred from primary care services, the rate of urgent health care use was significantly greater for individuals referred to early intervention services from urgent care services while accounting for social and occupational functioning and psychotic symptom severity. Findings suggest that those referred from urgent services may be at an increased risk for subsequent urgent health care use while attending EIS for psychosis. Further research examining this relationship while incorporating additional relevant predictors is needed.

Reducing wait times and avoiding unnecessary use of high-cost mental health services through a Rapid Access and Stabilization Program: protocol for a program evaluation study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency psychiatric care, unplanned hospital admissions, and inpatient health care are the costliest forms of mental health care. According to Statistics Canada (2018), almost 18% (5.3 million) of Canadians reported needing mental health support. However, just above half of this figure (56.2%) have reported their needs were fully met. In light of this evidence there is a pressing need to provide accessible mental health services in flexible yet cost-effective ways. To further expand capacity and access to mental health care in the province, Nova Scotia Health has launched a novel mental health initiative for people in need of mental health care without requiring emergency department visits or hospitalization. This new service is referred to as the Rapid Access and Stabilization Program (RASP). This study evaluates the effectiveness and impact of the RASP on high-cost health services utilization (e.g. ED visits, mobile crisis visits, and inpatient treatments) and related costs. It also assesses healthcare partners' (e.g. healthcare providers, policymakers, community leaders) perceptions and patient experiences and satisfaction with the program and identifies sociodemographic characteristics, psychological conditions, recovery, well-being, and risk measures in the assisted population. METHOD: This is a hypothesis-driven program evaluation study that employs a mixed methods approach. A within-subject comparison (pre- and post-evaluation study) will examine health services utilization data from patients attending RASP, one year before and one year after their psychiatry assessment at the program. A controlled between-subject comparison (cohort study) will use historical data from a control population will examine whether possible changes in high-cost health services utilization are associated with the intervention (RASP). The primary analysis involves extracting secondary data from provincial information systems, electronic medical records, and regular self-reported clinical assessments. Additionally, a qualitative sub-study will examine patient experience and satisfaction, and health care partners' impressions. DISCUSSION: We expect that RASP evaluation findings will demonstrate a minimum 10% reduction in high-cost health services utilization and corresponding 10% cost savings, and also a reduction in the wait times for patient consultations with psychiatrists to less than 30 calendar days, in both within-subject and between-subject comparisons. In addition, we anticipate that patients, healthcare providers and healthcare partners would express high levels of satisfaction with the new service. CONCLUSION: This study will demonstrate the results of the Mental Health and Addictions Program (MHAP) efforts to provide stepped-care, particularly community-based support, to individuals with mental illnesses. Results will provide new insights into a novel community-based approach to mental health service delivery and contribute to knowledge on how to implement mental health programs across varying contexts.

Augmenting Mental Health Support for Patients Accessing Different Degrees of Formal Psychiatric Care through a Supportive Text Messaging Program: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Patients feel more vulnerable when accessing community mental health programs for the first time or after being discharged from psychiatric inpatient units. Long wait times for follow-up appointments, shortage of mental health professionals, lack of service integration, and scarcity of tailored support can weaken their connection to the health care system. As a result, patients can present low adherence, dissatisfaction with treatment, and recurrent hospitalizations. Finding solutions to avoid unnecessary high-cost services and providing tailored and cost-effective mental health interventions may reduce the health system burden and augment patient support. We propose implementing an add-on, supportive text messaging service (Text4Support), developed using cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) principles to augment mental health support for patients attending to or being discharged from psychiatric care in Nova Scotia, Canada. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of Text4Support in improving mental health outcomes and overall mental well-being compared with usual care. We also will examine the intervention's impact on health services utilization and patient satisfaction. The results from this study will provide evidence on stepped and technology-based mental health care, which will contribute to generating new knowledge about mental health innovations in various clinical contexts, which is not only helpful for the local context but to other jurisdictions in Canada and abroad that are seeking to improve their health care.

Analysis of drugs of abuse in wastewater from two Canadian cities.

Several drugs of abuse, including amphetamines, cocaine and its metabolite, benzoylecgonine and several opioid prescription drugs were detected in wastewater from two Canadian cities, a small community (75,000 population) and a large urban center (1.6 million population). The objective of this study was to evaluate community use of these drugs in two cities with large differences in population size and demographics. In addition, we evaluated the use of the Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Sampler (POCIS) as a monitoring tool for drugs of abuse. Heroin was not detected at either location, probably because this illicit drug is metabolized to morphine prior to excretion. Acetylcodeine and acetylmorphine were also not detected. Estimates of community consumption from wastewater analysis indicated that the most widely used drug was cocaine at a median level of consumption in the larger city of approximately 38 doses per day per 1000 people. Consumption of the substituted amphetamine, ephedrine, as well as methamphetamine was also higher in the larger city, at 21 and 1.8 doses per day per 1000 people, respectively. Use of amphetamine, MDMA and tramadol were similar in both centers, but use of oxycodone was greater in the smaller city. Use of MDMA (ecstasy) peaked on weekends. Ketamine was detected in wastewater from the larger city; the first report of abuse of this veterinary anesthetic in a North American city. POCIS sampling rates were determined for the first time for 7 of the target compounds. Comparing the time weighted average concentrations estimated from POCIS data to the concentrations obtained from 24-h composite samples, the data were generally comparable, except for some compounds which were not detected in POCIS deployed in the untreated wastewater, probably because of biofouling or accumulation of debris on the cages containing the POCIS. This study indicates that the size and demographics of population centers can influence the patterns of abuse of drugs.