Evaluation of Case Management for First Episode Psychosis Using the PEPsy-CM Checklist

Psychotic disorders are often chronic conditions that lead to impaired functioning, quality of life and social integration. Current research and recommendations for good practice are moving towards early detection and intervention. It is recognized that this leads to better adherence, alliance to care and knowledge of pathology for the patient, especially in young patients. For more than a decade, early intervention services (EIS) are opened in France over an increasingly large territory. Still too few studies assess the impact of these structures in France. These EIS offer a multimodal intervention (social, professional, psychotherapeutic). The intervention of case managers (or care coordinators in french) seems to be the core of EIS. The case manager has a fundamental role in the process of recovery in coordinating each individual's treatment and ensuring continuity of care.

The PEPsy-CM study aims to evaluate the effectiveness on the relapse rate of a 3 year Program for Early Psychosis based on Case Management (PEPsy-CM) compared to TAU in a population of young people with a FEP.

A qualitative evaluation of case management practice in EIS seems essential to assess the impact of case managers under real conditions.

Based on the Australian Good Practice Recommendations (EPICC integrity tools) and the case management practice manuals, the PEPsy-CM check-list questionnaire was developed to evaluate the practice of case management in the EIS in France. This check-list contains different 35 items. The final score between 1(poor) to 5 (good) is established to determine the quality of the case management. Qualitative data are also collected during the interview with the participants.