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01-02-08 Newsletter

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USING THE KENNEDY AXIS V (K AXIS) TO TRACK RISK OF SELF HARM
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SOURCE
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XXIV World Congress - IASP (International Association for Suicide Prevention)

Presented in 2007

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TITLE
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Effectiveness of Inpatient Treatment for Reduction of Self Harm Risk in Affective and Personality Disorders.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
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Utilization of inpatient treatment with outcome [measured by the Kennedy Axis V built in as a part of the] routine evaluation can be a very useful step in the treatment of severe affective disorders and personality disorders with self harm behavioral risk.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 01-02-08 NEWSLETTER.

06-12-07 Newsletter
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KENNEDY AXIS V ASSISTED GAF RATINGS
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Many clinicians are still unaware that the Kennedy Axis V (K Axis) can act to IMPROVE THE EASE AND ACCURACY of making GAF ratings.

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EXAMPLES OF THE NEED FOR MORE ACCURATE GAF RATINGS
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1) Appealing Social Security Disability Denials
2) Rating Patients Suffering from Dementia
3) Impairment in Functioning due to Substance Abuse, Medical Impairment or Psychosocial Stress
4) Defending Against Accreditors and Insurers Who May Use the Kennedy Axis to Audit Your GAF Ratings

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DISABILITY DETERMINATION OF FINANCIAL COMPENSATION
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In Disability Claims the GAF May Be Used to Determine the Financial Compensation.

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CALCULATING A GAF USING THE KENNEDY AXIS V
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To calculate the GAF, one simply selects the LOWEST K AXIS SCORE from the first four K Axis subscales.

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SUMMARY
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The K Axis can be used as an added resource to help determine GAF scores and, therefore, greatly improve the accuracy and speed of the GAF ratings.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 06-12-07 NEWSLETTER.

05-15-07 Newsletter
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TOWARDS A NEW AXIS V FOR THE DSM SERIES
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As the AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION moves forward with the publication of DSM V in 2011, we are presenting the Kennedy Axis V as the next step for Axis V. A movement in that direction comes out of Italy in the form of the following book:

BOOK TITLE (English):
Functioning of Psychiatric Patients:
Evaluation Handbook:
TOWARDS A NEW AXIS V FOR THE DSM SERIES

BOOK TITLE (Italian):
Il funzionamento del paziente psichiatrico:
manuale di valutazione.
VERSO UN NUOVO ASSE V DEL DSM

AUTHOR: Kennedy, James A.
TRANSLATOR: Bonalume L., Di Mattei V.
EDITOR: Cortina Raffaello
COPYRIGHT: 2007

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 5-15-07 NEWSLETTER.

12-7-06 Newsletter
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NURSING CLINICAL OUTCOME PILOT
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Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare's Nursing Research Committee in Ohio reviewed the Kennedy NOSIE (K NOSIE or Kennedy Nurses’ Observation Scale for Inpatient Evaluation) and decided to pursue a pilot using this new tool to guide and evaluate nursing interventions on the Comprehensive Treatment Plans.

Ultimately, the Pilot is expected to empower nursing staff, including mental health workers, to collaborate with the rest of the team on the Comprehensive Treatment Plans, including the focus and effectiveness of treatment.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 12-7-06 NEWSLETTER.

9-28-06 Newsletter
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RATING SEXUAL VIOLENCE
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The KENNEDY AXIS V (K Axis) is being used with an increasing number of clients with SEXUAL VIOLENCE. These clients/inmates are being treated in prisons, jails, forensic and non-forensic mental health facilities or even outpatient programs.

To address this, a change in the VIOLENCE section on the K Axis' Scoring Sheet is being considered, i.e. the addition of an area to indicate the client/inmates sexually violent score. The purpose of the 9-28-06 Newsletter is to present you with the proposed change for your consideration and feedback.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 9-28-06 NEWSLETTER.

6-29-06 Newsletter
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MEDICAL MODEL VS RECOVERY MODEL VS REIMBURSEMENT
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The Kennedy Approach to Psychiatric Treatment Planning and Outcome Measure is based more on the Medical Model than the Recovery Model. Even though the Medical Model can be used with patients with any level of impairment, it appears to have significant advantages over the Recovery Model when working with patients with serious mental illnesses.

These are the patients who often qualify for federal funding of their treatment and, therefore, get the greatest scrutiny around reimbursement.

To assure reimbursement, the treatment must demonstrate effectiveness to those approving the funding. Often those funding the treatment turn to the medical model to help assure that appropriate treatment is being provided. It is our understanding that, especially at the federal level, the Medical Model trumps the Recovery Model for reimbursement for treatment provided to patients with serious mental illnesses.

This may be due to the Medical Model clearly indicating in treatment plans what is being treated and what outcomes are expected.

However, the bigger question is which model provides better care at a reasonable cost to patients with serious mental illnesses.

The California Department of Mental Health appears to be moving from the Medical Model to the Recovery Model.

The focus of this Newsletter is on a recent series of articles in the Los Angeles Times by Lee Romney, Times Staff Writer. The articles
touch on difficulties using the Recovery Model in California's state hospitals.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 06-29-06 NEWSLETTER.

03-23-06 Letters to the Editor

THE FOLLOWING ARE RESPONSES TO KENNEDYMD.COM'S 02-24-06 NEWSLETTER ENTITLED

"CALCULATE A GAF USING THE KENNEDY AXIS V"

There were seven Letters to the Editor concerning issues related to using the Kennedy Axis V (K Axis) to replace DSM-IV's Axis V (GAF) or assist with its scoring:

1) K AXIS MAKES THE GAF LESS ABSTRACT

2) K AXIS IN SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY APPEALS

3) USING THE K AXIS "SUBSTANCE ABUSE" SCORE FOR THE GAF

4) USING THE K AXIS "PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT" SCORE FOR THE GAF

5) USING THE LOWEST SCORE IN THE FIRST FOUR SUBSCALES AS THE GAF (GAF K)

6) KENNEDY AXIS V'S GAF EQUIVALENT, THE BEST GLOBAL MEASURE

7) WHY NOT THROW EVERYTHING IN FOR THE GLOBAL SCORE?

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE "LETTERS TO THE EDITOR".

02-24-06 Newsletter
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CALCULATE THE GAF USING THE KENNEDY AXIS V
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This Newsletter presents a method using the Kenned Axis V to determine the GAF (GAF K).

It also addresses the 10 global scores that can be generated using the Kennedy Axis V.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 02-24-06 NEWSLETTER.

04-04-03 Newsletter
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USING THE K AXIS TO TRACK MEDICATION CHANGES
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There are ongoing concerns about serious side effects of the medications that we use in psychiatry, especially when these medications are being used in conjunction with ever-growing combinations of medications. Because of these potentially serious side effects, drug interactions, and rising costs, we as psychiatrists are increasingly being asked to justify continued use of individual, as well as combinations of psychotropic medications.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW "USING THE K AXIS TO TRACK RESPONSE TO MEDICATION CHANGES".