The International Study on General Practitioners and Early Psychosis (IGPS).
Information on international general practitioner study regarding the first episode psychosis. Research; Andor Simon, MD, Daniel Umbricht, MD
Background;
There is now increasing evidence from research showing that early intervention in schizophrenia, either in early psychotic stage or in the prespykotiske phase can lead to a better disease outcome. General practitioners are often the first group in the health care system that come into contact with patients in an early phase of schizophrenia disorder.
GPs are therefore an important group in terms of early detection of psychosis. So far no study investigated further whether GPs are able to recognize early signs of psychosis.
On this basis, conducted Simon Umbricht, and in 2001 a national study in Switzerland in 1200 among general practitioners. The objective of this study was to investigate the contact frequency, diagnostic and therapeutic knowledge, and knowledge of available treatment and the treatment needs of people in prodromalfase and early stage of schizophrenia development.
The results from the survey showed that the level of knowledge among GPs average was low, in addition, showed that they had specific deficiencies.
GPs underestimated the importance of function decline and the need to follow up the patients over several months.
These knowledge deficiencies were independent of whether GPs practicing in rural areas or in large cities, whether they had previous clinical psychiatry experience, or recent experiences from the field early detection of psychosis.
Accordingly, it was designed an index listing where diagnostics and knowledge was the focus. It contained 7 main areas: medical history, somatic status, behavioral symptoms, affective symptoms, psychosis symptoms, general observation and neuropsychological testing.
Male general practitioners in ditriktene, traditional psychiatry training, scored high on completion of medical history, while the female general practitioners in the cities, and with higher education, focused more on somatic health and behavioral symptoms.
The program's purpose:
The aim of this study is to create an international multi-center study that will examine the general doctors contact with cases where there is suspicion of early signs (prodromal signs) of schizophrenia, as well as first-episode schizophrenia. Furthermore, a study doctors know about these conditions and more prolonged chronic psychotic disorders and general doctors' views on working with a specialist.
This study is based on the Swiss study and also the responsible for all this.
The study carried out in other European countries, as well as Canada, Australia and the United States. A number of research groups have already agreed to participate in the study.
The first official meeting was held in the 3 June 2002 in London. The second meeting where the various research leaders met was at the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR) 31 March 2005 Colorado Springs U.S.
This study will provide data for comparison among general physicians in the participating countries, regarding contact frequency, level of knowledge, adequate treatment and the need for primary health care in the treatment of patients in early stages of schizophrenia. The study will contribute to knowledge about the status of the first Line Inquiries regarding the early treatment of psychosis in a number of countries worldwide. Further study will provide information that can form the basis for improving services to patients with first episode psychosis.
Stavanger:
Data collection was undertaken in 2004-05
The International Study on General Practitioners and Early Psychosis (IGPS). Simon AE, Lester H, Tait L, Stip E, Roy P, Conrad G, Hunt J, Epstein I, Larsen TK, Amminger P, Holub D, Wenigovà B, Turner M, Berger GE, O'Donnel C, Unbricht D. Schizophrenia Research 2008 Dec 15(epub ahead of print)
