EPION Spotlight on…Metabolic Monitoring: Right from the Start Resource

The EPION Metabolic working group has adapted a guide developed by service users and practitioners from Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust in England. This guide was developed to empower service users to improve the quality of the care they receive. This guide highlights the importance of asking health professionals about your overall health, not just psychosis. Hard copies will be available at the May 11 EPION network meeting.  

The “Right from the Start” resource communicates a crucial and strong message regarding the potential physical health outcomes seen with psychosis, and therefore encourages individuals to act “right from the start” to avoid metabolic issues. Dr. David Shiers and the NHS team in the UK received feedback from consumers and care providers through focus groups that guided the content and wording of key messages. The final product is a tool that can be shared with patients and families and used to facilitate discussions within the healthcare team.

In partnership with the original designer, EPION’s Metabolic Working Group has adapted the original document for our Canadian audience. Two versions—one 8 page pamphlet and a 10-page pocket-sized version—will be reviewed by EPION’s members at the May 11 EPION Network Meeting in Toronto. A limited amount will be printed and distributed throughout EPION’s membership; the file is available on EPION’s website for members to order additional copies on their own.

For more information about this initiative, please contact:
Dr. Rebecca Carriere, Metabolic Working Group Chair: info@epion.ca

Loved this? Check out these resources:

• Metabolic Monitoring Tool for Professionals
• Right from the Start: Keeping your body in mind
• EPI Primary Care Package