Pathways of care for early psychosis

Pathways of care, a set of specific steps taken in the care of a particular disorder, are rarely employed in mental health. The Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) Programme has taken up the challenge of developing care pathways for the treatment of early psychosis. The EPI Programme provides services to clients across several communities through a team of community-based mental health clinicians and psychiatrists. The current pathway focuses on care provided by the clinicians. The goals for the pathway include: (a) providing a practical ‘best practices’ guide to care, (b) standardizing care, (c) providing a method for evaluating and improving quality of care and (d) improving client outcome. Prior to developing the pathway, clinical practice was assessed through random chart audits and interviews with the clinicians. A pathway was then developed incorporating both outcome measurement and a documentation system utilizing a series of checklists detailing currently recognized bestpractice in early psychosis, organized according to phase ofrecovery. The pathway was piloted and revised before fullimplementation. Extension of the pathway to early psychosis inpatient treatment and psychiatric care is currently underway.