Medscape (6/28, Brooks) reports that “broader availability of” electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) “may result in fewer readmissions among psychiatric inpatients with severe affective disorders,” researchers found in a study that “included 162,691 inpatients with severe affective disorders in nine states.” Investigators found that “the adjusted predicted proportion of patients who were readmitted within 30 days was 6.6% among those who received ECT compared with 12.3% among those who did not – a statistically significant difference.” The findings were published online June 28 in JAMA Psychiatry.
According to Healio (6/28, Oldt), the author of an accompanying editorial observed that “there are likely a variety of factors that contribute to the low and uneven rate of ECT use,” including “the stigma associated with receiving the treatment on the part of patients and in recommending or administering the treatment on the part of professionals.” The editorial added, “Were we able to overcome these barriers, it is likely that untold numbers of patients would experience better outcomes by receiving an intervention that is often life altering and, for some, lifesaving.”
Related Links:
— “ECT may reduce psychiatric readmission risk,” Eric P. Slade, PhD, Healio, June 28, 2017.