When to Stop Addiction Treatment: How Long Is Enough?

Topics: Addiction Treatment | Alcohol use disorder | Buprenorphine | Clinical practice | Medication adherence | retention

When a patient with a substance use disorder (SUD) has that “reachable moment” and/or recognizes the need to seek help, we know the importance of decreasing barriers to start treatment. However, what is less clear is when to stop treatment. What indicators suggest stable recovery? Recovery process The DSM-5 definition of remission from SUD is ba

How to Write an Open Note

Topics: Computers in Psychiatric Practice | Confidentiality | EHR | Electronic Health Records | electronic use | Engagement | HIPAA | Patient relationship | Privacy | retention

“A physician should at all times deal honestly and openly with patients.” —AMA Code of Medical Ethics Beginning April 4, 2021, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) instituted a new policy stating that all clinical notes must be open to patients for their review in a timely fashion. Since that announcement, I have heard physician

Maintenance Pharmacotherapy of Bipolar Disorder: How Long Is Long Enough?

Topics: Bipolar Depression | Bipolar Disorder | Bipolar II | Lithium | Medication adherence | Mood Stabilizers | retention

Review of: Kishi T et al, Psychol Med 2020 Oct 13:1–9; PMID: 33046156 Type of study: Meta-analysis of double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trials Bipolar disorder is a lifelong illness whose treatment is an ongoing challenge, complicated not least by difficulties in treatment adherence. What do we know and what can we tell our patients about