25. 9. 2008
posters – Sc hizophrenia & Psychosis
P-03-296
ITAREPS: A New Tool for Relapse Prevention in
Schizophrenia
INSTITUTIONS
1. Prague Psychatric Center, Czech Republic
2. Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Republic
3. 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
4. Center of Neuropsychiatric Studies, Prague, Czech Republic
AUTHORS
1. Filip Španiel1,3,4, Mr, MD PhD, spaniel@pcp.lf3.cuni.cz
2. Jiří Kožený1,3,4, Mr, prof
3. Jan Hrdlička2, Mr
4. Lucie Motlova1,3,4, Mrs
5. Tomáš Novák1,3,4, Mr, MD
6. Cyril Höschl1,3,4, Mr, prof
ITAREPS presents a mobile phone-based telemedicine solution
for weekly remote patient monitoring and disease management in
schizophrenia and psychotic disorders in general. The programme
provides health professionals with home telemonitoring via a PCto-
phone SMS platform that identifies prodromal symptoms of relapse,
to enable early intervention and prevent unnecessary hospitalizations.
Its web-based interface offers the authorized physician a
longitudinal analysis of the dynamics and development of possible
prodromes. Previous one-year clinical evaluation of the programme
effectiveness in 45 patients with psychotic disorder showed significant
60% decrease in the number of hospitalizations. This work
presents data from a two-year mirror-design follow-up evaluation
of the programme’s clinical effectiveness in 73 patients with psychotic
illness. There was a statistically significant 77% decrease in the
number of hospitalizations during the mean 396,8 ± 249,4 days of
participation in the ITAREPS , compared to the same time period
before the ITAREPS entry (Monte Carlo, exact test, 2-tailed, Z=4,86,
p = 0,00).
The ITAREPS presents a novel approach towards relapse prevention.
The programme offers affordable solution to face the challenges of
frequent rehospitalisation and relapses in patients with schizophrenia
and psychotic disorders in general.