G. Langle et al., Is there an effect of modified documentation on the administration of medications to involuntary patients, PSYCHIAT PR, 27(5), 2000, pp. 243-247
The effects of modification of documentation on the administration of psych
otropic medication to involuntary patients in hospital were investigated. M
ethods: The charts of 414 inpatients on the acut-ward were reviewed two mon
ths before and two months after a new form for documentation of rationales
for medication administration to involuntary patients was instituted. A fol
low-up was carried out for a two-month period a year later. Results: The pe
rcentage of patients who received medication involuntarily, 70 % of whom we
re schizophrenic, fell by over half, from 12 % to 5 %, after additional sta
ndardized documentation for the use of such medications was instituted. The
number of medications administered to involuntary patients fell from 80 to
21, a reduction of 74 %. The effects were stable over the course of one ye
ar. Conclusions: Modification of documentation seems to reduce the use of m
edication with involuntary patients.