Antwerp Psychiatric Hospitals Share Data to Improve Care: 'See Who Risks Relapse Faster'

Five psychiatric hospitals in Belgium's Antwerp province have launched a collaborative project with the University of Antwerp to establish a central database of medical patient information. Named iPSYcare, the initiative aims to enhance the organization of mental healthcare by analyzing aggregated data, rather than tracking individual patients.

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If we see that certain groups are readmitted to the hospital more quickly, we can follow them up better.

The database will compile information such as age, gender, diagnosis, and the duration and nature of admissions from patients within participating Antwerp psychiatric hospitals. Researchers will use this data to analyze large patient groups, identifying patterns in treatment adherence, relapse risks, and areas where care could be improved. For instance, Professor Kris Van den Broeck of the University of Antwerp explained that if the data reveals specific patient groups, such as those with substance use issues, are more prone to readmission, targeted follow-up strategies can be developed post-discharge.

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We are not yet at the level of direct interventions. We want to first gain insight into the care trajectories and where we can improve them.

Currently, the project focuses on gaining insights into care trajectories and identifying potential improvements. Professor Van den Broeck emphasized that the system is not yet at a stage for direct interventions with individual patients but serves as a tool for retrospective understanding and strategic enhancement of mental health services. This approach aligns with practices already established in countries like the United Kingdom and Denmark, where similar large-scale databases have long been utilized to recognize patterns and guide mental healthcare more effectively.

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In the United Kingdom and Denmark, large databases have been used for a long time to recognize patterns in mental healthcare and steer care better. With this project, we are taking a first step to reduce that gap.

Belgium has lagged behind other nations in this area, making the iPSYcare project a crucial first step in closing that gap. The participating institutions include Bethanië Geestelijke Gezondheid, UPC Duffel, OPZ Geel, Zorggroep Multiversum, and ZAS. Strict protocols are in place to protect sensitive medical information, ensuring patient anonymity as the database operates solely on group-level data. The initiators hope to eventually expand the database's scope to include other healthcare sectors.

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We cannot see who it is about. We only work with group data.