Reducing Delay From Referral to Admission at a US First-Episode Psychosis Service: A Quality Improvement Initiative

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), the period between psychosis onset and entry into care, is a time of great vulnerability. Longer DUP predicts poorer outcomes, and delayed treatment access can limit the effectiveness of co-ordinated specialty care (CSC) services. This column details one component of a broader early detection campaign, a quality improvement intervention focusing on reducing the delay between confirmation of eligibility and admission to care within a benchmark period of 7 days. Median delay significantly fell (from 13.5 to 3 days), and the proportion of admissions that met the benchmark increased (from 33% to 71%) over 4 years. This intervention provides a sustainable model to reduce wait times at CSC services.

Automated summary

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is a critical period for patients, and longer DUP can lead to poorer outcomes. This column discusses a quality improvement intervention aimed at reducing the delay between eligibility confirmation and admission to care within a benchmark period of 7 days. Over 4 years, the median delay significantly decreased and the proportion of admissions meeting the benchmark increased. This intervention provides a sustainable model for reducing wait times at co-ordinated specialty care (CSC) services.