A long-term care center interdisciplinary education program for antipsychotic use in XXXX : program update five years later.

@entity1 @entity146 @entity303 @entity2146 @entity716
BACKGROUND: While antipsychotic (AP) medications are frequently used in long-term care, current evidence suggests that the risks may offset the benefits, necessitating periodic reassessment of their use. The aims of this present study were: (1) to assess rates of AP use five years after our first intervention to determine the long-term impact; and (2) to implement an updated AP reduction educational intervention program at the same center five years later in order to determine whether AP use could be further reduced. METHODS: @entity1 were residents with @entity303 receiving AP medication. The educational program component included separate lectures on pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment of @entity146 ( @entity146 ). Completion of the Nursing Home Behavior Problems Scale (NHBPS), physician interviews concerning AP treatment plans for subjects with @entity303 , and AP administration and dose assessment occurred both at baseline and again between four to five months after the educational program. RESULTS: Of 308 long-term residents with @entity303 , 53 (17.2%) were receiving regular APs, primarily for @entity2146 , @entity146 , other @entity146 and @entity716 . Of these, six died and one was transferred, leaving 46 @entity1 . At five months, ten (21.7%) residents were no longer receiving APs and seven (15.2%) were on a lower dose; thus, 17 (37.0%) were either discontinued or on a lower dose. There was no worsening of NHBPS scores. CONCLUSION: Despite the low prevalence (17.2%) of AP users at the beginning of the current study compared to that observed five years prior (30.5%), it is still possible to further decrease the proportion of users.
