Building Strengths with the Six Es of Medication Management

The authors provide a template of focused skills drawn from various psychotherapy modalities for integration into follow-up psychopharmacology appointments. Titled the Six E model, this approach includes strategies to elicit an agenda, externalize the presenting problem, seek exceptions, engage empathetically, utilize enactments, and offer education. The template was trialed in a child and adolescent outpatient residency clinic under the guidance of two attendings. Qualitative feedback was solicited from fellows following utilization of the template. The Six E model was felt to improve structure and subjective satisfaction of patient, family, and provider participating in the brief appointments.