Essential elements of an early intervention service for psychosis: the opinions of expert clinicians.
BACKGROUND
Early intervention teams attempt to improve outcome in schizophrenia through earlier detection and the provision of phase-specific treatments. Whilst the number of early intervention teams is growing, there is a lack of clarity over their essential structural and functional elements.


METHODS
A 'Delphi' exercise was carried out to identify how far there was consensus on the essential elements of early intervention teams in a group of 21 UK expert clinicians. Using published guidelines, an initial list was constructed containing 151 elements from ten categories of team structure and function.


RESULTS
Overall there was expert consensus on the importance of 136 (90%) of these elements. Of the items on which there was consensus, 106 (70.2%) were rated essential, meaning that in their absence the functioning of the team would be severely impaired.


CONCLUSIONS
This degree of consensus over essential elements suggests that it is reasonable to define a model for UK early intervention teams, from which a measure of fidelity could be derived.
Marshall
Max
M
School of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, University of Manchester, Academic Unit, Royal Preston Hospital, Fulwood, Preston PR2 9HT, UK. max.marshall@man.ac.uk
Lockwood
Austin
A
Lewis
Shôn
S
Fiander
Matthew
M
D000328:Adult; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D032921:Consensus; D003697:Delphi Technique; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006287:Health Planning Guidelines; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000628:therapy*; D006113:United Kingdom