Posted by stargazer2 on September 19, 2007, at 8:03:10
In reply to Re: Olisy79, Excellent suggestions...ECT specifics, posted by Kneeko on September 19, 2007, at 0:14:47
I don't know statistics but my overall impression was more negative than positive. For over a year I saw these patients come in over and over and I was not able to tell if they were any better, the outcomes were murky. Very few indicated that their depression had improved that much. It was a very hard place for me to work because I didn't feel the treatment was as positive as I had been led to believe. I think many underwent the treatment because they were not given any other hope other than ECT. They know it can help but know it may not either. It is used as a last option treatment.
I was particlarly unimpressed with the head MD. He seemed more concerned with numbers treated rather than individual outcomes. He did not push medication to any great level before going right to ECT. I did not see referrals to MD's with polypharmacology experience. He was very unskilled with medication management as I made an obvious recommednation to him to increase a medication that he did not increase as I would have expected a MD to do. Of course there was a financial incentive for him to do ECT and do it frequently. That was obvious to me as he pushed to treat more patients than I felt was safe.
You would have to read studies to get a sense of statistical outcomes. Or google patient who have had ECT for their views of how much it helped them.
Stargazer
poster:stargazer2
thread:783405
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070919/msgs/783883.html