Monitoring weight and blood glucose in in-patients: how helpful is a protocol?

Impact of institutional quality improvement initiatives on metabolic monitoring in mental disorder in patients treated with antipsychotics: A meta-analysis of intervention studies

Background

Compliance with guidelines regarding monitoring of metabolic adverse effects induced by antipsychotics has been consistently low. We characterised and evaluated the quality of institutional quality improvement (QI) interventions designed to address disparities between guidelines and real-world practices. Furthermore, we assessed the impact of these interventions on the screening and management of metabolic risks for inpatients receiving treatment with antipsychotic medications.

Methods

We conducted a meta-analysis of institutional QI intervention studies aimed at improving antipsychotic-associated metabolic risk monitoring in hospitalised mental disease patients. Relevant studies were identified through searches conducted in the Embase and PubMed databases, as well as by reviewing previous reviews and meta-analyses. Quantitative analyses were performed, calculating odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to assess the impact of QI programmes on guideline adherence in clinical practice.

Results

We identified 12 intervention studies (n = 10 128 and n = 2667 patients in the pre-and post-intervention groups, respectively) and included them in our meta-analysis. QI interventions demonstrated effectiveness in bridging the guideline-practice gap in monitoring antipsychotic-induced metabolic adverse effects, as supported by the ORs and 95% CIs for post-intervention monitoring of plasma glucose, lipids, and blood pressure (BP) vs the pre-intervention period being OR = 6.90 (95% CI = 1.51-31.48), OR = 5.39 (95% CI = 4.01-7.24), and OR = 4.81 (95% CI = 1.23-18.79), respectively. Only 33.3% (4/12) of studies reported screening rates for all four metabolic parameters (plasma glucose, lipids, weight/body mass index (BMI), and BP). The median rates for metabolic screening of plasma glucose, lipids, and BP increased from 51.0-80.0%, 28.7-66.7%, and 91.7-95.8%, respectively. Up to 66.7% (8/12) of intervention studies lacked follow-up measures to treat or manage identified risks in hospitalised psychiatric patients, such as patient referrals, prescription of medications, and switching of antipsychotics. The odds of monitoring weight/BMI and glucose were greatest when QI programmes involved the participation of multidisciplinary health care professionals and patients, yielding OR = 3.35 (95% CI = 2.45-4.59) and OR = 57.51 (95% CI = 24.11-137.21), respectively.

Conclusions

Institutional QI interventions were effective in enhancing monitoring practices in alignment with established guidelines for metabolic risk screening among hospitalised patients with mental disorders maintained on antipsychotic medications. Future institutional QI programmes should incorporate multidisciplinary strategies involving patient engagement and extend their focus beyond screening to incorporate follow-up risk management strategies once risks have been identified.

Registration

PROSPERO CRD42023452138.

Interventions to Improve Metabolic Risk Screening Among Adult Patients Taking Antipsychotic Medication: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Antipsychotic use is associated with elevated cardiometabolic risk. Guidelines for metabolic risk screening of individuals taking antipsychotics have been issued, but with little uptake into clinical practice. This review systematically assessed interventions that address this guideline-to-practice gap and described their quality, improvement strategies, and effect on screening rates.

METHODS

Studies of interventions that addressed metabolic risk screening of adult patients taking antipsychotics, published from inception to July 2018, were selected from MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane Reviews databases. Information was extracted on study characteristics; improvement strategies at the provider, patient, and system levels; and screening rates in the intervention and comparison groups.

RESULTS

The review included 30 complex interventions that used between one and nine unique improvement strategies. Social influence to shift provider and health organization culture to encourage metabolic risk screening was a common strategy, as were clinical prompts and monitoring tools to capture provider attention. Most studies were deemed at high risk of bias. Relative to comparison groups, the interventions were associated with an increase in median screening rates for glucose (28% to 65%), lipids (22% to 61%), weight (19% to 67%), and blood pressure (22% to 80%).

CONCLUSIONS

This knowledge synthesis points to shortcomings of current interventions to improve antipsychotic metabolic risk screening, both in quality and in outcomes. Findings may be used to inform the design of future programs. Additional interventions are needed to address the current guideline-to-practice gap, in which approximately one-third of patients are unscreened for metabolic risk.

Baseline metabolic monitoring of atypical antipsychotics in an inpatient setting

Background: Atypical antipsychotic agents serve an important role in the treatment of many psychiatric disorders but have the potential to cause adverse effects, notably metabolic disturbances. These agents are known to cause increases in obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. In 2004, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), in collaboration with other organizations, acknowledged the association between the use of atypical antipsychotics and the development of metabolic abnormalities and provided monitoring recommendations for the use of these agents. Despite these recommendations, rates of monitoring remain low.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess whether a pharmacist recommendation form is effective in improving baseline metabolic monitoring for patients admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatry unit who are ordered a scheduled atypical antipsychotic.

Methods: A pharmacist recommendation form with metabolic monitoring parameters was placed on the charts of patients ordered a scheduled atypical antipsychotic during a two month period. A retrospective chart review was conducted to compare the percentage of baseline monitoring ordered pre-intervention versus the intervention period. Patients ages 18 years or older who were ordered a scheduled atypical antipsychotic were included.

Results: During the intervention period, there was a significant increase in documentation for presence or absence of diabetes (p = 0.018) and cardiovascular disease (p < 0.001). A significant difference in the number of orders for hemoglobin A1c (p = 0.007) and lipid panels (p < 0.001) were noted. No other significant differences were found.

Conclusion: A pharmacist recommendation form was effective in improving the baseline monitoring of personal history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and monitoring of hemoglobin A1c and lipid panels, but rates of other baseline monitoring parameters did not improve.

Service innovation: a comparison of two approaches for physical screening of psychiatric inpatients

OBJECTIVE

Psychiatric medications have clear links to obesity, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, hyperprolactinaemia and movement disorders. These disorders are a common cause of morbidity and mortality in psychiatric patients but physical screening by health services is often haphazard.

METHODS

We report the findings of an audit of physical screening across two hospital wards. Each ward undertook a process of service improvement. One ward modified the admissions proforma and the other developed a discharge screening clinic. The effectiveness of each of these interventions was then compared through a reaudit of practice across both wards.

RESULTS

At baseline, screening was performed inconsistently and infrequently. On average, the modified admissions proforma increased screening rates by 4.7% compared to 30.7% for discharge screening clinics. The discharge screening clinic demonstrated statistically significant improvements in screening rates and effectively delivered health promotion advice.

CONCLUSIONS

Discharge screening clinics are significantly more likely than improved admissions procedures to detect clinically significant abnormalities. If these abnormalities are detected and treated then the long-term physical health of psychiatric patients may be improved.

Barriers and solutions to implementing metabolic risk assessment in a secondary mental health service

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to understand the barriers and resulting solutions encountered by mental health service staff during the implementation of a metabolic risk assessment programme.

METHOD

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were held with key programme staff. Thematic analysis was performed on the resulting data.

RESULTS

Barriers identified included an existing mindset that care of service users' physical health is not part of Mental Health Service 'core business'; the lack of processes that ensure consistent implementation of risk assessment; and lack of resources in terms of equipment and staff time/manpower. Solutions identified were categorized as: systems and process issues; staff training or education issues; issues requiring attention at an organizational level; and issues relating to service users, their family and communities.

CONCLUSIONS

A valuable programme that contributes to the improved physical health of service users has been developed and implemented. However, a number of barriers to wider adoption were identified. Solutions to a number of these barriers were identified during implementation.