Trevor Hadley, PhD, Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215-662-2886, thadley@mail.med.upenn.edu

This project is a joint effort by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University and community-based providers of mental health care.

Although national and citywide data point to differences in mental health care received by African Americans, little is known about the exact causes and precise nature of these disparities. The activities of the Mental Health Disparities Initiative are designed to better understand the causes of differences in care, where they exist, and to evaluate possible remedies. This is a four-year study funded by the state of Pennsylvania.

One of the central components of this project is to implement automated prescription software at four community mental health agencies in the city of Philadelphia. Our working hypothesis is that by automating prescriptions, the pharmacological treatment received by clients at these agencies will become more standardized than current practice.

We will present quantitative and qualitative data on our experience with implementing automated prescription software at four urban community mental health agencies for the purpose of standardizing the care received by clients at these agencies. Our assumption is that by standardizing treatment given at these agencies any unusual prescription patterns that may result in poor mental health outcomes will diminish, and this will reduce disparities in the care received by ethnic minority clients.

Quantitative data is drawn from pre- and post-automation chart reviews, surveys distributed to providers at the agencies, and the automated prescription software itself (e.g., usage reports documenting number of prescribing users over time). Qualitative data is drawn from a series of focus groups, organizational scans to assess cultural context, and participant/observation at the agencies.

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Learning Objectives:

• to better understand issues surrounding disparities in pharmacological treatment
• to explore the utility of automated prescription systems for the standardization of treatment
• to understand the dimensions of change required to shift to automated prescription systems at community mental health agencies
• to enhance comprehension of the multi-faceted nature of treatment disparities in mental health

Keywords: Community Health Centers, Minority Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.