Using an explicit guideline-based criterion and implicit review to assess antipsychotic dosing performance for schizophrenia

Objective. Using structured implicit review as the gold standard, this study assessed the sensitivity and specificity of an explicit antipsychotic dose criterion derived from schizophrenia guidelines. Design. Two psychiatrists reviewed medical records and made consensus-structured implicit review ratings of the appropriateness of discharge antipsychotic dosages for hospitalized patients who participated in a schizophrenia outcomes study. Structured implicit review ratings were compared with the explicit criterion: whether antipsychotic dose was within the guideline-recommended range of 300–1000 chlorpromazine milligram equivalents (CPZE). In addition, reasons for deviation from guideline dose recommendations were examined. Setting and study participants. A total of 66 patients hospitalized for acute schizophrenia at a Veterans Affairs medical center or state hospital in the southeastern US. Main outcome measures. The sensitivity and specificity of the explicit dose criterion at hospital discharge were determined in comparison with the gold standard of structured implicit review. Results. At hospital discharge, 61% of patients (n= 40) were receiving doses within the guideline-recommended range. According to structured implicit review ratings, antipsychotic dose management was appropriate for 80% (n= 53) of patients. When the 300–1000 CPZE dose criterion (dosage within or outside the recommended range) was compared with structured implicit review, it demonstrated 84.6% sensitivity and 71.7% specificity for detecting inappropriate antipsychotic dose. Conclusions. The explicit antipsychotic dose criterion may provide a useful and efficient screen to identify patients at significant risk for quality of care problems; however, the relatively low specificity suggests that the measure may not be appropriate for quality measurement programs that compare performance among health plans.