Treatment of Metabolic Syndrome in a Community Mental Health Center

A medical assistant will provide feedback on and educational materials describing the meaning of lab values to individuals identified as needing follow-up for metabolic syndrome, and will provide educational materials regarding healthy eating and exercise. The psychiatrist will recommend that the individual contact a primary care physician to follow-up on out of range values, and alter behaviors (over eating, being sedentary) to help improve health.

After identifying individuals through routine screening that need medical follow-up for metabolic syndrome, these individuals will be scheduled to see the on site primary care provider. Rapid scheduling (within 2 weeks) will be attempted. Patients will be seen by the primary care provider monthly or as needed as determined per patient. The primary care provider will prescribe medications for metabolic syndrome, discuss the patient with psychiatry staff and recommend follow-up appointments for physical problems based upon recommended guidelines and clinical judgment of necessity and urgency. Referral to a specialist will be made according to standard primary care practice guidelines. During the Metabolic Syndrome Clinic, if individuals bring up other medical conditions, they will be referred for treatment of these conditions to an outside primary care provider.

Patients will be seen by the MCM bi-weekly or as needed as determined per patient. The MCM will discuss findings of the labs with the patient, work to get the individual an appointment with a primary care doctor, get releases of information to discuss treatment coordination between the primary care and psychiatric teams, obtain necessary records from primary care, and communicate findings to the treating psychiatrist. The MCM will also assist the patient in getting to primary care appointments by providing bus passes or other transportation, and with obtaining medications prescribed by the primary care provider. This may necessitate enrolling the patient in specific care plans as needed.