In general, people with severe mental illness (SMI) die 10-20 years earlier. Most of this excess mortality stems from physical diseases, which are underdiagnosed and undertreated. These patients are treated across sector borders, and coordinated care between general practice (GP), municipalities and hospital psychiatry is imperative.
The Phy-Psy Trial will develop, execute and test an intervention, which aims to reduce the excess mortality of people with SMI. The intervention will be a coordinated care model supported by an information and communication technology (ICT) platform. This integrated care platform helps collect core health parameters and patient reported outcome data from patients while supporting coordination and communication across the healthcare providers involved in the treatment and care of the patient.
The model will rely on cross-sectorial collaboration based on a coordinated care-plan tailored to the needs of the patient. A co-design approach will involve patients, their relatives and professionals in general practice, municipalities and psychiatry to ensure development of a realistic and sustainable model that makes sense for all involved users. The care model will be tested in a randomised controlled parallel-group trial.
The care model will positively impact on GPs’, psychiatrists’ and social workers’ possibilities of improving the overall care of SMI patients. This will reduce patients’ excess mortality, costs of medications, severe side effects of medications, re-admissions to psychiatric ward, and it will extend life expectancy, strengthen patients’ participation in and adherence to effective treatment of comorbid physical diseases and improve patients’ quality of life.