General practitioner management of chronic diseases in adults with severe mental illness: a community intervention trial.

Conclusion These findings suggest that the ACTIVATE program aimed at training GPs to screen and better manage chronic diseases in adults with SMI had a positive effect up to 6 months after the trial, with demonstrated desired changes in medical management practices by GPs in the intervention area during that time.What is known about the topic? People with an SMI have higher mortality and poorer physical health than the general population.What does this paper add? The community intervention had a significant and sustained effect, with demonstrated desired changes in screening and medical management by GPs for adults with SMI in the intervention area.What are the implications for practitioners? GPs are ideally placed to assist in the prevention and better management of health conditions, thereby reducing avoidable illness and deaths in vulnerable populations, such as adults with SMI. Ongoing professional training and dissemination of clinical guidelines are critical for raising awareness about the physical and oral health care needs of people with SMI. PMID: 27977388 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Australian Health Review - Category: Hospital Management Authors: Tags: Aust Health Rev Source Type: research