Care pathways for patients with bipolar disorders at Psychiatry Clinic Affektiva, Gothenburg: Identifying and solving issues for a more efficient and safe care

Abstract

Introduction

The Psychiatry Clinic Affektiva has developed a care pathway for patients with bipolar disorder (BD). It consists of one outpatient clinic and two inpatient wards. Clinical observations suggest that patients with BD benefit from treatment in a dedicated unit with tailored care programs and that better outcomes are achieved in terms of reduced average length of stay and safer transitions to outpatient care for this group.

Aims

The aim is to improve the care of bipolar patients by increasing bed-availability and overall continuity in the care pathway and monitoring core aspects in the management of outpatients in order to reduce admissions and to facilitate standardized treatment and collaboration between in- and outpatients unit.

Method

We developed a structure to monitor and measure specific outcomes such as readmission within 28 days, relapse within 12 months and the use of lithium in this group. We also developed a standardized care protocol in order to improve the safety and the equality.

Results

At this stage our preliminary results from our efforts are promising but further monitoring is needed to confirm our hypothesis. More data will be collected during 2017.

Conclusions

Affektiva Psychiatry Clinic has developed a model for continuously monitoring several essential aspects in the care of patients with BD and providing a specific care program.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.