Over 800k euro for Primary and Community Care

The research group led by researcher and general practitioner Erik Bischoff has received a ZonMw grant from the call ´Goed Gebruik Geneesmiddelen´ for study cardiovascular risk management. 

The grant of over 680,000 euros is intended for research into cardiovascular risk management in people with antipsychotic drugs in general practice. Special is that in addition to this subsidy, the study also receives an in-kind contribution of 130,000 euros from the Arnhem care group Onze Huisartsen BV where the research takes place.
Erik Bischoff: 'The care group has developed a wonderful intervention in which general practitioners, psychiatrists, pharmacists and practice nurses work closely with patients with antipsychotics to reduce unnecessary medication use and reduce the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In our TACTIC project we will first test this intervention on a small scale and then evaluate its effects and costs in a large experiment'.

Promotion project

The research forms the PhD trajectory for ELG framework doctor for cardiovascular diseases Kirsti Jakobs who played an important role in the development of the intervention. Her earlier research showed that people with severe mental illness (EPA) are estimated to die between eight and twenty years earlier than the general population, especially from cardiovascular diseases.

This ELG study, published in BMC Family Practice, shows that this group is only screened in 8.5%. Only in the case of diabetes mellitus does the annual screening reach 68.4%. People with EPA benefit from a customized cardiovascular risk management (CVRM), but are not yet mentioned in the standard CVRM of the Dutch Society of General Practitioners. Researcher and ELG PhD candidate Kirsti Jakobs: 'Our research also shows that in 68.3% of antipsychotic users no suitable EPA diagnosis was registered in the GP information system. This could be an indication that GPs often prescribe antipsychotics off-label, lack diagnostic information or register the wrong code. GPs are in a key position to proactively invite this vulnerable group to CVRM. It is recommended to be vigilant when prescribing antipsychotics off-label or not properly documented'.

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