We have a passion for providing the most effective treatment at Gateway and that passion is illustrated by the efforts that we make to ensure that we deliver integrated care. Integrated care is a very simple idea. In fact it is probably something that you expect your treatment providers are already delivering. It means that the different providers who are …
A Possible Cause of Bipolar Mania
A recently published article by a group of Korean researchers hints at a possible cause of bipolar mania. The finding underlines the complex biology of bipolar disorder and perhaps why coming up with a biological mechanism for the dramatic shifts in behavior in bipolar has been so difficult. Background A number of pieces of evidence have suggested that phospholipase C signaling may be …
Valbenazine for Tardive Dyskinesia
The FDA just approved a new drug, valbenazine, for tardive dyskinesia. Until now there have been few treatment options (vitamin E is sometimes helpful) and the most common choice patients and doctors had to make was to reduce the dose of the atypical antipsychotic that caused the tardive dyskinesia, or switch to another medication, possibly leading to worsened psychiatric symptoms. …
Ketamine Guidelines
Ketamine guidelines have recently been published by American Psychiatric Association Council of Research Task Force on Novel Biomarkers and Treatments. They highlight what we know and what we don’t know about this treatment. What We Know “Several studies now provide evidence of ketamine hydrochloride’s ability to produce rapid and robust antidepressant effects in patients with mood and anxiety disorders that were previously resistant …
Motivational Interviewing for Change
We were inspired, as we often are, by the discussion in the most recent session of our bipolar 101 group to add some more content on our webpage about motivational interviewing and motivational enhancement therapy. These techniques are so often relevant to the people that we work with because mood disorders are frequently associated with difficult problems such as substance …
Pill Minder and Information Source
David Pogue recently reviewed 47 apps that can serve as a pill minder and information source and selected one that clearly outshone the others. But first, why is this important? This is some information from his article in Yahoo Finance… An estimated 187 million Americans (58%) are on at least one prescription drug. (Source: Network for Excellence in Health Innovation …
Efficacy or Effectiveness
What is the difference between efficacy and effectiveness? We tend to use these terms interchangeably in our posts on this site, but the two are different and the difference can be important. Efficacy refers to the power of a treatment to achieve a given outcome assuming that the patient is perfectly compliant and completes the treatment. Effectiveness addresses the more …
Neuroscience Based Nomenclature
Neuroscience Based Nomenclature is an initiative by a number of prestigious organizations supporting research in neuroscience and psychiatry to change the way that we talk about psychotropic / psychiatric medications. Why this might be useful is illustrated by conversations that are likely familiar to all psychiatrists… A severely depressed patient with bipolar 1 is discussing her need for a change …
We Are Not “In Network” Providers
Gateway Psychiatric Services is not an “in network” provider of care. Many of the patients we see get reimbursement for their care here, but this depends on the specific insurance plan and how it handles out-of-network claims. The most generous plans seem to be provided by larger “tech” companies which often have very generous out-of-network coverage. It is important to …
Google Hangouts Telepsychiatry Updated
We are no longer using Google Hangouts for Telepsychiatry. We have moved on to the business application which is called Hangouts Meet. Please see this article for more information.