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Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Black Country Healthcare Foundation Trust (BCHFT) Trust-Wide Audit on Adherence to NICE Guidelines in Prescribing Medications for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 August 2024
Abstract
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Aims
This comprehensive study seeks to evaluate the adherence of (CAMHS) service, Black Country Healthcare National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines in prescribing medications for children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Our primary objectives include identifying variations in prescribing practices across different localities within the trust and identifying specific areas that may benefit from improvement.
Methods
A meticulous retrospective analysis was conducted on 142 randomly selected cases involving children diagnosed with ASD and prescribed psychotropic or sleep medications. A comprehensive analysis of patient records, encompassing progress notes and clinic letters, facilitated the gathering of extensive data. The evaluation centred around benchmarking adherence to NICE guidelines. Throughout the process, strict adherence to ethical standards was maintained.
Results
Within the cohort of 142 children diagnosed with ASD, 44% underwent alternative interventions before medication initiation. Notable variations were observed across localities, with 87% receiving psychological therapy as an alternative intervention. Documentation of consent for commencing medication was present in 62% of cases. Specialists consistently initiated psychotropic medications at the minimum effective dose, and 70% of cases had a follow-up within 3–4 weeks. Sleep medications were prescribed to 77% of the cohort, with 55.5% of those undergoing alternative interventions before prescription.
Conclusion
The study's findings underscore significant variations in adherence to NICE guidelines, emphasizing the critical importance of exploring alternative treatment modalities before resorting to medication. Furthermore, collaboration with supporting agencies is highlighted as a crucial aspect of comprehensive care. The documentation of consent forms for all patients is deemed imperative, and adherence to specified intervals for reviewing medication side effects, as outlined in the guidelines, is considered crucial for optimal and safe patient care.
- Type
- 5 Audit
- Information
- BJPsych Open , Volume 10 , Supplement S1: Abstracts from the RCPsych International Congress 2024, 17–20 June , June 2024 , pp. S254
- Creative Commons
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.- Copyright
- Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Royal College of Psychiatrists
Footnotes
Abstracts were reviewed by the RCPsych Academic Faculty rather than by the standard BJPsych Open peer review process and should not be quoted as peer-reviewed by BJPsych Open in any subsequent publication.
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