Designing an Effective Treatment Strategy for Tardive Dyskinesia

Author(s):

Key Takeaways

Vigilance in observing subtle changes in patients' behavior and appearance is crucial for managing tardive dyskinesia effectively.
Monitoring posture, clothing choices, and dental health can reveal underlying issues in patients with tardive dyskinesia.
Direct patient inquiries enhance understanding of their experiences, improving the clinician's information status.
Erin Crown is a psychiatric physician assistant and principal investigator with extensive experience in patient care.

What are the signs of increased struggle with tardive dyskinesia? Here's what Erin Crown, MHS, PA-C, Psych-CAQ, picks up on during patient visits.

CONFERENCE REPORTER

Erin Crown, MHS, PA-C, Psych-CAQ, shared her recommendations for designing an effective treatment strategy for patients with tardive dyskinesia at the Real Psychiatry conference. She recommends being watchful at every visit.

Is there posture different? Are they trying to mask symptoms?
Are they dressing differently? Does this indicate newfound struggle with buttons, ties, etc? Are they wearing slippers when they used to wear tennis shoes?
Do they have any dental issues? Is this due to grinding teeth?

She also recommends proactively asking patients about their experiences. "Asking doesn't change the answer, it simply changes your information status," said Crown.

Ms Crown is a psychiatric physician assistant in State College, PA. She is the owner and managing member of Oasis LifeCare, the owner of Future Options Research, and principal investigator in clinical trials.