The Louisiana Medicare Electro-Convulsive Therapy Quality Improvement Project

The first collaborative statewide psychiatric quality improvement project, initiated by Louisiana Health Care Review, Inc, focused on the practice of inpatient electro-convulsive therapy (ECT) among Medicare patients. Data from the project indicated that the majority of Medicare patients receiving ECT were white females living at home, in good physical health, in their seventies, and with a diagnosis of major depression or major depression with psychotic features. The quality indicators for the project included: (documentation of) monitoring of cognitive side effects, monitoring of depressive target symptoms, ECT appropriateness, electrode placement, anesthesia evaluation, and dental examination. An additional indicator (administration of possibly detrimental medication during ECT) was developed based on the recommendation by the study group. At project conclusion, significant improvement occurred in all project indicators. ECT as practiced in the participating hospitals was effective and appropriate. Appropriateness was determined as depression refractory to two medication trails or an emergency due to severe suicidal ideation or physical deterioration secondary to malnutrition. Transient hypertension (13%) and cardiac dysrhythmia (3.5%) which resolved in the recovery period were the most frequent complications.