Table 1 The characteristics of the COPSI trial sites.
Site | Tamil Nadu | Goa | Satara |
|---|---|---|---|
Collaborators | Schizophrenia Research Foundation http://www.scarf.org | Consulting Psychiatrists in private sector | Consulting Psychiatrists in private sector and 'Parivartan' and 'Nirmittee' |
Type of service provider | Non Government Organization (NGO) | Private sector individual practices | Mixed model- combination of private consulting Psychiatrists and NGO's working in tandem |
Catchment area description | Population coverage of approximately 500,000. | Population coverage of approximately 1 million. | Population coverage of approximately 2.0 million from nearby urban and rural areas |
| Â | Participants will be from 235 villages in Kanchepuram district of Tamil Nadu. | Referrals treated from all parts of Goa. | Referrals are from the surrounding urban and rural areas of western Maharashtra |
| Â | People with schizophrenia mainly from rural settings. | People with schizophrenia mainly from urban and peri-urban settings. | People with schizophrenia from both rural and urban settings |
| Â | Majority belong to lower socioeconomic section of the community. | Predominantly middle and upper socio-economic status population who can afford private care. | Wide range of social classes represented. |
Usually available treatments at facilities | Services available: Out- patient care once every 2 weeks at each of the community clinic centres. | Services available: All collaborators are solo practitioners | Services available: Out-patient care 6 days a week in designated clinics |
| Â | 1 Psychiatrist, 1 Psychiatric Social Worker and 1 trained Assistant available at each centre during the clinic. | Out-patient care 6 days a week in designated urban clinics In-patient care provided through liaison with private hospitals | IP care: In multi specialty hospital with registered private psychiatric unit for 20 psychiatric beds. |
| Â | Intervention: Main treatments are antipsychotic and other psychotropic medications and brief counselling for families and persons with schizophrenia. | Intervention: Main treatments used are anti-psychotic and other psychotropic medications with brief advice and counselling for families and persons with schizophrenia. | Intervention: Main treatments used are anti-psychotic and other psychotropic medications with brief advice and counselling for families and persons with schizophrenia |
| Â | Description of usual care process : Consultation lasts for about 20 minutes and usually includes family members. | Description of usual care process: Consultations last about 30 minutes and usually include family members. | Description of usual care process: Consultations last about 30 minutes and usually include family members. |
| Â | Costs of medicines: Free medications are given to all persons with schizophrenia attending the community clinics. | Costs of medicines: Medicines are purchased from pharmacies entirely through out of pocket expenses | Costs of medicines Medicines are purchased from pharmacies entirely through out of pocket expenses |
Whether any community care is already available | No community care available | No community care available | No community care available |
Number of inpatient beds | Nil- referrals to existing hospitals when necessary for acute care | On an as needed basis in private hospitals | 20 |
Average number of total OP attenders/week | 50-60 | 200 | 400-500 |
Average number of patients/week meeting eligibility criteria | 6-8 | 5-6 | 10-12 |