Aims and methodAn audit cycle assessed compliance of healthcare professionals within Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust with the statutory requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 in patient care. Each stage involved a retrospective review of relevant patient electronic records. The additional purpose of the audit was to make recommendations to improve compliance with the requirement of the Act by healthcare professionals and improve patient understanding of its provisions.ResultsThe audit cycle demonstrated some improvement in clinical practice as well as the need for further efforts at raising the understanding and compliance of clinicians and the public with provisions of the Act.Clinical ImplicationsHealthcare professionals need further understanding of the provisions of the Act and their responsibilities. There is also the need to enhance public awareness to provisions of the Act in relation to their decision-making autonomy. Stakeholders need to put strategies in place for these to be achieved.
Aims and methodTo build on previous research findings by examining engagement and problematic behaviours of patients in 10 residential rehabilitation units. Two measures were completed on patients in community rehabilitation, longer-term complex care and high-dependency units (109 patients in total). Data were analysed and categorised into higher-engagement ratings across the domains of engagement and behaviour over the past 6 months and lifetime in terms of presence of the behaviour and likelihood of resulting harm.ResultsData were available for 73% of patients. All aspects of engagement were consistently low for all units, with highest levels in community rehabilitation units. Levels of problematic behaviours were similar across all units. Socially inappropriate behaviours and failure to complete everyday activities were evident for over half of all patients and higher for lifetime prevalence. Verbal aggression was at significantly lower levels in community units. Lifetime behaviours likely to lead to harm were much more evident in high-dependency units.Clinical implicationsDespite some benefits of this type of care, patients continue to present challenges in engagement and problematic behaviours that require new approaches and a change in focus.
SummaryDemands on our mental health services are growing as financial pressures increase. In addition, there are regular changes to service design and commissioning. The current political mantra is ‘more and more, of better quality, for less and less, please’. We suggest that mental health services need to actively respond to these constraints and that clinical transformation is needed to move towards a more sustainable system of healthcare. Emphasis on prevention, patient empowerment and leaner, greener services is required alongside more extensive use of technologies. Focusing on these areas will make mental health services more responsive to the challenges we face and serve to future-proof psychiatry in the UK. Services need to be delivered to provide maximum benefit to the health of our patients, but also to our society and the environment.
Aims and methodTo assess trends of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology examination pass rates before and after the 2003 duty hours regulations (DHR). We obtained the pass rates for part I and II for years 2000–2010. Data were divided pre-DHR (2000–2003) and post-DHR (2007–2010).ResultsDuring the pre-DHR period, first- and multiple-attempt group pass rates were 80.7% and 39.0% which changed in the post-DHR period to 89.7% and 39.1% respectively. Similarly for the part II exam, the pre-DHR first- and multiple-attempt group pass rates were 60.2% and 43.5% respectively, which increased to 78.7% and 53.8%, among the post-DHR group. Overall, there was a significant increase in the first-attempt candidates pass rates for parts I and II, whereas multiple-attempt candidates did not benefit as strongly.Clinical implicationsThe results suggest that the 2003 DHR may have had a positive impact on examination-based medical knowledge in psychiatry.
Richard P. Michael, MD, PhD, DSc, FRCPsych Formerly Reader in Behavioural Physiology and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley Hospital (1963–1972), Professor of Psychiatry and Anatomy, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
