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Clinical Management of Patients with Schizophrenia Treated with Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotics and Telepsychiatry Use During COVID-19 Pandemic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2022

Leona Bessonova ,
Elizabeth Keane ,
Eric Achtyes ,
Philip D. Harvey ,
John M. Kane ,
Stephen R. Saklad ,
Jeffrey Trotter ,
Amy Claxton ,
Tiffany Hatfield  and
James McGrory
...Show all authors
Leona Bessonova
Affiliation:
Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
Elizabeth Keane
Affiliation:
Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
Eric Achtyes
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry & Behavioral Medicine, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Philip D. Harvey
Affiliation:
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
John M. Kane
Affiliation:
The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
Stephen R. Saklad
Affiliation:
Pharmacotherapy Division, College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin, San Antonio, TX, USA
Jeffrey Trotter
Affiliation:
Worldwide Clinical Trials, Research Triangle, NC, USA
Amy Claxton
Affiliation:
Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
Tiffany Hatfield
Affiliation:
Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
James McGrory
Affiliation:
Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
Wahidullah Noori
Affiliation:
Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
Amy K. O’Sullivan
Affiliation:
Alkermes, Inc., Waltham, MA, USA
Joshua E. Biber
Affiliation:
QualityMetric Incorporated, LLC, Johnston, RI, USA
Asia Sikora Kessler
Affiliation:
QualityMetric Incorporated, LLC, Johnston, RI, USA
Aaron Yarlas
Affiliation:
QualityMetric Incorporated, LLC, Johnston, RI, USA
Dawn I. Velligan
Affiliation:
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Abstract

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Background

The COVID-19 pandemic substantially impacted care of patients with schizophrenia treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs). This study examined how clinics adapted operations to maintain a standard of care for these patients after pandemic onset.

Methods

Online surveys were completed in October-November 2020 by one principal investigator (PI) or PI-appointed designee at 35 clinics participating in OASIS (NCT03919994). Items concerned pandemic impacts on clinic operations, particularly telepsychiatry, and on the care of patients with schizophrenia treated with LAIs.

Results

All 35 clinics reported using telepsychiatry; 20 (57%) implemented telepsychiatry after pandemic onset. Telepsychiatry visits increased from 12%-15% to 45%-69% across outpatient visit types after pandemic onset; frequency of no-show and/or canceled telepsychiatry visits decreased by approximately one-third. Nearly half of clinics increased the frequency of telepsychiatry visits for patients with schizophrenia treated with LAIs. Approximately one-third of participants each reported switching patients treated with LAIs to longer injection interval LAIs or to oral antipsychotics. The most common system/clinic- and patient-related barrier for telepsychiatry visits was lower reimbursement rate and access to technology/reliable internet, respectively. Almost all participants (94%) were satisfied with telepsychiatry for maintaining care of patients with schizophrenia treated with LAIs; most predicted a hybrid of telepsychiatry and office visits post-pandemic.

Conclusions

Changes made by clinics after pandemic onset were viewed by almost all participants as satisfactory for maintaining a standard of care for patients with schizophrenia treated with LAIs. Most participants predicted continuing telepsychiatry to support patient care post-pandemic; equitable access to telepsychiatry will be important in this regard.

Funding

Alkermes, Inc.

Type
Abstracts
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , April 2022 , pp. 230
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press