EPA-0301 – Improving Somatic Health of Outpatients With Severe Mental Illness

Abstract

Introduction:

Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) experience a 13- to 30-year reduction in life-expectancy. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to somatic health problems. The risk on somatic health problems is partly increased due to a reduced ability to request care and a health care organisation that is unable to fulfil the needs of these patients. Our previous work shows that a health-check-intervention can bypass the inability to request help of patients with SMI by detecting somatic healthproblems that were not detected previously[1].

Objectives:

To develop policy-recommendations to improve the health care organisation for the physical health of outpatients with SMI.

Aims:

We aim to present a selection of policy-recommendations based on consensus between patients, family carers, general practitioners(GP) and mental health care staff

Methods:

We used a three-round Delphi method. The first round consisted of an inventory of potential policy-recommendations, in the two consecutive rounds consensus was sought on a selection of recommendations.

Results:

The policy recommendations described improvement in collaboration among health care professionals; the need to educate involved professionals regarding the specific medical risks associated with patients with SMI; and defining the differences between GPs and mental health care professionals regarding their responsibilities to provide adequate care for the physical health of SMI patients.

Conclusions:

Currently there are multiple barriers to optimal health care which can be overcome by implementing the suggested policy recommendations.