( nurses discussed topics such as medic...)Promising Care Model For Bipolar Disorder,Health

, nurses discussed topics such as medication side effects and early warning signs for symptoms, which in bipolar disorder range from racing speech, bursts of optimism and impulsive behavior during manic episodes to fatigue, social withdrawal and suicidal thoughts during depressive episodes. During the sessions, patients discussed coping skills, got feedback from the group and created personal action plans.

The intervention was tested for three years. The results: Under the new model, patients saw a significant reduction in symptoms, including five fewer weeks experiencing mania during the three-year study period. Patients also felt happier and healthier, reporting more productive time at work, better relationships with family, and more satisfaction with their care.

The new model was less expensive – an average of $61,398 for three years of direct treatment costs compared with $64,379 for usual care – although the difference was not statistically significant.

“The bottom line is that we saw improvements in patients’ symptoms, function and quality of life with no change in net costs,” Bauer said.

The results mirror those from a simultaneous trial testing a similar team-based approach for bipolar disorder that Bauer also helped to develop. That approach was tested in 441 patients enrolled in a Washington state health maintenance organization. Results from that trial were published in May in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

“We now have results from more than 700 patients, cared for in very different health systems, that show this collaborative approach works,” Bauer said. “Just like anyone with a chronic illness, people with bipolar disorder can work with medical professionals to manage their symptoms and manage their lives.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Cooperative Studies Program funded the work.

Source Eurekalert
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