EQUIP: Implementing chronic care principles and applying formative evaluation methods to improve care for schizophrenia: QUERI Series

Alison H Brown; Amy N Cohen; Matthew J Chinman; Christopher Kessler; Alexander S Young

doi:10.1186/1748-5908-3-9

Table 2 EQUIP intervention components

From: EQUIP: Implementing chronic care principles and applying formative evaluation methods to improve care for schizophrenia: QUERI Series

Clinical intervention
• Chronic illness care model aimed at lessening psychotic symptoms and medication side effects and increasing family/caregiver involvement in care
Delivery system interventions
• Research nurse (RN) stationed at each of the clinics assessed every intervention patient at each visit.
• Protocols for assertive, coordinated care.
• Resources supporting evidence-based medication management and family services [37].
• "Medical Informatics Network Tool" (MINT, [21]), an informatics system that collected and managed outcomes data in real time and worked in conjunction with the VA's fully electronic medical record.
• MINT generated a window ("PopUp") each time an enrolled provider opened the electronic medical record of an intervention patient.
• The PopUp window contained the RN's clinical assessment, with urgent issues highlighted. The PopUp provided links to treatment guidelines, and allowed for secure messaging among the clinical team members.
• MINT produced Quality Reports to track data regarding the clinical status of the psychiatrist's patients in three domains: compliance and caregiver problems, symptoms, and medication side-effects.
• Quality Reports were distributed quarterly by the research nurse to enrolled psychiatrists.
Adoption/implementation tools
• Marketing of the care model via educational activities and trainings.
• Partnerships with clinic personnel.
• Product champions were nominated by the site PI mid-intervention. They were asked to promote the goals of the project during regular staff meetings.

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