METHODS: We recruited long-stay inpatients with schizophrenia from June to October 2014. Four dental specialists assessed oral health using the decayed-missing-filled teeth index, the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs and the Debris Index of the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Results were compared with the 2010 Oral Health survey of the general Malaysian population.
RESULTS: A total of 543 patients participated (66.7% males, 33.3% females; mean age = 54.8 years [standard deviation = 16.0]) with a mean illness duration of 18.4 years (standard deviation = 17.1). The mean decayed-missing-filled teeth was 20.5 (standard deviation = 9.9), almost double that of the general population (11.7). Higher decayed-missing-filled teeth scores were associated with both older age (p
METHODS: out-of-pocket cost information was obtained from the Medical Costs Finder website, which extracted data from Services Australia's Medicare claims data in 2021-2022. Cost information for corresponding face-to-face, video, and telephone MBS items for outpatient psychiatric services was compared, including (1) Median specialist fees; (2) Median out-of-pocket payments; (3) Medicare reimbursement amounts; and (4) Proportions of patients subject to out-of-pocket fees.
RESULTS: Medicare reimbursements are identical for all comparable face-to-face and telepsychiatry items. Specialist fees for comparable items varied across face-to-face to telehealth options, with resulting differences in out-of-pocket costs. For video items, higher proportions of patients were not bulk-billed, with greater out-of-pocket costs than face-to-face items. However, the opposite was true for telephone items compared with face-to-face items.
CONCLUSIONS: Initial cost analyses of MBS telepsychiatry items indicate that telephone consultations incur the lowest out-of-pocket costs, followed by face-to-face and video consultations.
OBJECTIVE: This article aims to provide a primary care update on the maintenance or discontinuation of antidepressant medication for the treatment of moderate-to-severe depression in adults. To this end, we performed a qualitative narrative review and provide commentary on recent research and systematic reviews.
DISCUSSION: In primary care, recent research has shown that there are substantial risks of depressive relapse resulting from antidepressant discontinuation. For a first episode of moderate-to-severe depression, antidepressants should be continued for 9-12 months after remission. Systematic reviews indicate that, overall, there is limited evidence of benefits from ceasing antidepressant treatment for recurrent depression. The existing evidence base on antidepressant withdrawal is limited in quality and extent, providing some evidence of harms, such as relapse, and not necessarily any gains, although reducing the burden of adverse effects is a consideration. There is a benefit-to-risk ratio in any decision to continue or withdraw antidepressant treatment.
METHODS: We critically review the arguments proposed by proponents of antidepressant deprescribing in the context of the evidence-base for the treatment of depression.
RESULTS: Proponents of deprescribing do not address the substantive issues of whether inappropriate prescribing has been demonstrated, and when prescribing is needed. Their arguments for deprescribing are rebutted in this context.
CONCLUSIONS: Whether or not to deprescribe antidepressant medication needs to take into consideration the risk-benefit profile of the decision, the responsibility for which needs to be shared and based on the context of the patient's depression, their preferences, experiences and perspectives.