Medication management in EIPS: Exploring SDM
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring medication management processes in relation to shared decision making in Early Intervention for Psychosis
IRAS ID
323185
Contact name
Nicola Morant
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2022/12/44 , UCL Data protection office
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 31 days
Research summary
This application is for a qualitative study to be conducted as part of a PhD project. The overall aim of this study is to explore how medication for mental health is managed in relation to Shared Decision Making (SDM) principles in Early Intervention for Psychosis Services (EIPS), in order to inform improvements to patients' involvement in care. EIPS are specialist services for people who experience psychosis for the first time, which offer support for up to three years. SDM, which is recommended in recent NICE guidelines for all forms of healthcare, refers to the collaboration between two ‘experts’, the clinician (an expert on evidence-based treatment options) and the service user (an expert in personal experiences and preferences), to come to a decision on treatment. Mental health has lagged behind other areas of medicine in implementing SDM, so research exploring how this can be developed and embedded within clinical practice is timely. The study will involve systematic observations within EIPS, followed by semi-structured interviews carried out with staff, service users and family members/carers in EIPS. This study will take place across four EIPS within North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NEFLT). The findings of this study will provide an overview of how medication is currently managed in EIPS, to inform future development and implementation of SDM in medication management in all mental health services, including EIPS. These findings will be disseminated to key NEFLT stakeholders to inform service developments, in order to improve care for mental health service users and help implement NICE guidelines. Findings will also inform understandings of what aspects of SDM for medication could feasibly be applied to other mental health service contexts, and the organisational or training needs to support this.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SC/0169
Date of REC Opinion
22 May 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion