Implementing a digital clinical decision support tool for side effects of antipsychotics: a focus group study

Area of Science:

• Digital health tools
• Clinical decision support
• Psychiatric pharmacotherapy

Background:

• Algorithms can enhance treatment decisions by integrating current evidence on medication side effect profiles.
• Shared clinician-patient decision-making is crucial when initiating therapy.
• A novel decision support tool (DST) was developed incorporating the latest evidence on antipsychotic side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively assess the acceptability and usefulness of the DST.
• To gather perspectives from both patients and psychiatrists on the tool's utility.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study was conducted in Oxford, UK, in 2018.
• Two focus groups were held with four patients/carers and four psychiatrists.
• Thematic analysis was applied to explore perceptions of the DST.

Main Results:

• The DST demonstrated high acceptability and potential usability among patients and psychiatrists.
• Key themes included prescribing preferences, side effect awareness, app design, clinical impact, and role in decision-making.

Conclusions:

• Findings will inform the design of a proof-of-concept clinical study for the DST.
• Digital DSTs can leverage up-to-date side effect information for shared decision-making.
• The tool shows potential to improve adherence to psychiatric medication, clinical outcomes, and healthcare resource utilization.