Correlation Between ECT Quality Measures and Likelihood to Transition From Acute to Continuation and Maintenance ECT

To evaluate the association between 3 ECT quality measures (seizure duration, Postictal Suppression Index [PSI], and heart rate response) and therapeutic compliance as indicated by transitioning from acute to continuation to maintenance phases of ECT.

This was a retrospective chart review of patients who received ECT between July 2016 and July 2019. ECT quality measures were lagged by 1 ECT session to examine the effect of the prior session's quality measure on progressing to a higher ECT phase at the subsequent ECT session. Associations with therapeutic compliance were analyzed using mixed-effects ordinal regression and mixed-effects partial proportional odds models.

Seizure duration was associated with 8% higher adjusted odds of progressing to out of the acute phase (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2% to 15%, P = 0.007) and 18% higher adjusted odds of progressing to the maintenance phase (95% CI: 10% to 28%, P < 0.001); PSI was associated with 9% higher adjusted odds of progressing out of the acute phase (95% CI: 3% to 16%, P = 0.005), whereas heart rate response was not statistically associated with therapeutic compliance. Greater therapeutic compliance was also associated with bilateral electrode placement and older age.

Longer seizure duration was associated with greater therapeutic compliance across all ECT phases, PSI was associated with progressing out of the acute phase, and heart rate response was not associated with therapeutic compliance. Our findings assist ECT psychiatrists in optimizing ECT quality measures to promote better compliance with ECT.