OPTIMUM: Better treatment for elderly patients with treatment-resistant depression

Do you have any older patients with depression who are not making progress with their treatment? There is support available for them and for you!

No matter where you are in Ontario, you can sign your patients up to get better access to scarce geriatric psychiatry support at no charge. In addition, you and your patients will be compensated for your expenses and efforts. This is because the support is being offered in the context of a research project coming out of the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH). The project is equal parts service to you and your patients and exploration of the effectiveness of any strategies you and your patients end up using. The project came out of awareness that there are many outstanding questions in the literature about what exactly is the best approach for treatment-resistant depression in seniors.

What’s in it for me?

Participating in this study gives you an opportunity to learn how to better treat depression in older patients. You will learn state-of-the-art science prescribing practices from trained study psychiatrists.

All eligible patients will receive treatment; there is no control group.
Ineligible patients will receive mental health referrals.
Geriatric psychiatrists will provide regular decision support customized to each patient.

It’s a pragmatic trial, which means you’ll be able to start helping your patients now. This type of trial examines the question of which treatment works best, for which patient, in real world care settings. It’s also a true partnership: Patients, physicians, and families are intentionally involved in every stage of the research process. Both providers and patients will be reimbursed for their time and expenses related to participating in the study. This project is funded by the Patient-Centred Outcomes Reasearch Institute (PCORI).

Want to learn more about OPTIMUM?

Check out these links for more information from AFHTO and CAMH about this exciting project:

Watch a recorded webinar about the study, or review the slide deck here.
View the introductory letter for the OPTIMUM A research study.
View the handout for health care providers participating in the study.
Contact Dr. Peter Selby, principle investigator, for more information about the study.

Ready to get started?

To organize a meeting, recruitment, or on-site education about OPTIMUM and/or treatment for depression in older patients, contact Athina Perivolaris.
To refer a patient, call 1 866-539-3510 or email optimum@camh.ca.
Consider running a standard EMR query to help you identify your patients with depression.