State mental health policy: implementation of computerized medication prescribing algorithms in a community mental health system.
This column describes a Michigan initiative to implement medication prescribing algorithms for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. The algorithms were incorporated into the electronic medical records system of a four-county community mental health system. Guideline adherence of 30 providers who treated nearly 3,000 patients was measured at mid- and endpoints of the first year. They were adherent for about a third of their patients in the first six months (32%) and more than half in the second (52%). Scores on scales measuring providers' perceptions of algorithm ease of use and usefulness were in the midrange at both time points.
Milner
Karen K
KK
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Rd., SPC 5740, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. kmilner@med.umich.edu
Healy
Daniel
D
Barry
Kristen L
KL
Blow
Frederic C
FC
Irmiter
Cheryl
C
De Chavez
Peter
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D000465:Algorithms; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006801:Humans; D050316:Medical Order Entry Systems; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008824:Michigan; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011050:Policy Making; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States