Date of Award

Fall 12-2-2019

Degree Type

Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

School of Nursing

First Advisor

Jane Castle

Second Advisor

Jennifer Stewart-Glenn

Abstract

OnTrack is a program that provides coordinated specialty care (CSC) services for patients who have experienced their first episode of psychosis (FEP). Appropriately identifying and aggressively treating this vulnerable population, while providing support to both them and their families is critical for improved outcomes. Appropriate treatment of FEP patients can improve their quality of life, preserve brain matter, improve overall functioning, and lessen the burden of the clients’ family who may be involved in their care, such as caregiver strain or financial hardship. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the success of OnTrack, a FEP program, at improving health outcomes for enrolled patients who have just experienced their first psychotic episode. The following variables will be tracked and analyzed for changes denoting improvement in the patients’ health status: the patient’s level of compliance with keeping scheduled medication appointments, number of crisis calls, number of suicide attempts, total number of inpatient hospitalization days, gainful employment status, and overall quality of life as measured by scores on the Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) version of the global assessment of functioning (GAF).

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