A bewildering variety of pharmacological interventions are available to aid the mental health patient. These medications have a startling range of effects - from the ability to suppress a lifetime of hallucinations or reverse severe depression to disturbing bone marrow activity and causing cardiac arrhythmias. Patients must be informed of both the benefits and risks of psychotropic medications. The mental health professional typically assumes this responsibility but is given few aids, such as brochures, to address this need. Furthermore, a patient's time with a psychiatrist is usually limited, especially in a public health care setting. Multimedia computer software will be developed to address the need to educate and inform patients. Interactive software using pictures, video, voice, music and text will educate the user in a professional and interactive format. The software will assess the patient's knowledge base and address weaknesses. The educational experience will be documented for the prescribing physician, clinician or medical chart. A study investigating the effect of teaching medication information using multimedia computer software will use populations of patients utilizing a university medical center. If successful, the software could be available worldwide and help patients become aware of the vast potential and risk of psychiatric medications.
The rapid rise in the cost of healthcare is partially due the requirement to provide and document a standard level of care. Health maintenance organizations, community mental health clinics, state hospitals, VA medical centers, university hospitals and for-profit hospitals can control costs and satisfy these requirements using software that assists the clinician and accurately documents care.
