ITAREPS: information technology aided relapse prevention programme in schizophrenia.
ITAREPS presents a mobile phone-based telemedicine solution for weekly remote patient monitoring and disease management in schizophrenia and psychotic disorders in general. The programme provides health professionals with home telemonitoring via a PC-to-phone SMS platform that identifies prodromal symptoms of relapse, to enable early intervention and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations. Its web-based interface offers the authorized physician a longitudinal analysis of the dynamics and development of possible prodromes. This work presents preliminary findings from a one-year mirror-design follow-up evaluation of the programme's clinical effectiveness in 45 patients with psychotic illness. There was a statistically significant 60% decrease in the number of hospitalizations during the mean 283.3+/-111.9 days of participation in the ITAREPS, compared to the same time period before the ITAREPS entry (sign test, p<0.004). Variables significantly influencing the number of hospitalizations after the ITAREPS entry (medication compliance along with factors intrinsic to the ITAREPS, i.e. adherence to the programme and involvement of a family member) suggest a critical role of the programme in controlling the number of relapses and subsequent hospitalizations in psychosis.
Spaniel
Filip
F
Prague Psychiatric Center, Ustavní 191 181 03 Prague 8, Czech Republic. spaniel@pcp.lf3.cuni.cz
Vohlídka
Pavel
P
Hrdlicka
Jan
J
Kozený
Jirí
J
Novák
Tomás
T
Motlová
Lucie
L
Cermák
Jan
J
Bednarík
Josef
J
Novák
Daniel
D
Höschl
Cyril
C
D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010359:Patient Readmission; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000379:methods*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents