Connection Learning Healthcare System Hub of the Early Psychosis Intervention Network: Program and Participant Characteristics

Monica E Calkins; Megan Jumper; Arielle Ered; Fanghong Dong; Deepak K Sarpal; Krista K Baker; Donna J Bencivengo; Russell L Margolis; Robert W Buchanan; Yasmine Boumaiz; Elizabeth Burris; Philip D Campbell; K N Roy Chengappa; Catherine Conroy; Akinyi Cooke; Faith Dickerson; Nyasia Flowers; Mandy Fauble; Richard W Goldberg; Alexander Harvin; Carolyn Howell; Christian Kelly; Julie Kreyenbuhl; Lan Li; Alicia Lucksted; Jill A Marsteller; Alexander Moxam; Denise Namowicz; Swati Nayar; Jamie Oko; Jessie Riggs; Arunadevi Saravana; Rachel Scheinberg; William R Smith; Richard States; Timur Suhail-Sindhu; Jerome Taylor; Crystal L Vatza; Max Wolcott; Christian G Kohler; Melanie E Bennett

doi:10.1111/eip.70031

Connection Learning Healthcare System Hub of the Early Psychosis Intervention Network: Program and Participant Characteristics

Early Interv Psychiatry. 2025 Apr;19(4):e70031. doi: 10.1111/eip.70031.

Authors

Monica E Calkins¹, Megan Jumper¹, Arielle Ered¹, Fanghong Dong¹, Deepak K Sarpal², Krista K Baker³, Donna J Bencivengo¹, Russell L Margolis⁴, Robert W Buchanan⁵, Yasmine Boumaiz⁶, Elizabeth Burris⁷, Philip D Campbell¹, K N Roy Chengappa², Catherine Conroy¹, Akinyi Cooke³, Faith Dickerson⁸, Nyasia Flowers³, Mandy Fauble⁹, Richard W Goldberg^{6

10}, Alexander Harvin⁸, Carolyn Howell³, Christian Kelly¹¹, Julie Kreyenbuhl^{6

10}, Lan Li⁶, Alicia Lucksted⁶, Jill A Marsteller¹², Alexander Moxam^{1

13}, Denise Namowicz¹⁴, Swati Nayar², Jamie Oko¹³, Jessie Riggs¹, Arunadevi Saravana⁶, Rachel Scheinberg⁴, William R Smith¹, Richard States⁹, Timur Suhail-Sindhu⁴, Jerome Taylor^{1

13}, Crystal L Vatza¹, Max Wolcott³, Christian G Kohler¹, Melanie E Bennett⁶

Affiliations

¹ Neurodevelopment and Psychosis Section, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
² Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
³ Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Community Psychiatry Program, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
⁵ Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
⁶ Division of Psychiatric Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
⁷ Wesley Family Services First Episode Psychosis Program-ENGAGE, New Kensington, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychology, Sheppard Pratt, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
⁹ University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Behavioral Health at Safe Harbor, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA.
¹⁰ VA Capitol Health Care Network (VISN 5) Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹¹ University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Western Psychiatric Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
¹² Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹³ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
¹⁴ Children's Services Center, Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA.

Abstract

Aim: Connection Learning Healthcare System, one of the eight hubs of the National Institute of Mental Health funded Early Psychosis Intervention Network, supports uniform data collection, analysis, feedback and infrastructure development to promote a culture of continuous quality improvement across 25 Coordinated Specialty Care programs serving young people experiencing first episode psychosis and their families in Maryland and Pennsylvania. This first report describes the hub and its constituent programs, the approach for developing and implementing a hub-wide core assessment battery harmonised with the national battery, and preliminary program and participant characteristics.

Methods: Our hub developed and implemented a computerised core assessment battery, administered every 6 months and developed an integrated system for managing and analysing data.

Results: Between 1 January 2021 and 27 November 2023, 1059 participants were newly admitted to a hub program. The entire cohort (N = 1381) included newly admitted participants and those already in a program as of 1 January 2021. A total of 1245 complete assessment batteries were collected across all time points from 797 participants, with an additional 1920 partially completed batteries collected from 1319 participants. Data are uploaded to the National Data Coordinating Center, where our hub is the third largest data contributor. Descriptive information on programs and participants is provided.

Conclusions: As part of our learning healthcare system to improve clinical services and outcomes across two states, we have successfully implemented a standardised, computerised core assessment battery of essential characteristics and clinical outcomes. Successes, challenges and recommendations for data collection are provided. This paper will serve as a vital methodological resource for users of the unprecedented Early Psychosis Intervention Network national research database seeking to accelerate and improve early psychosis research.

Keywords: EPINET; coordinated speciality care; early psychosis intervention network; first‐episode psychosis; learning health care system.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Early Medical Intervention* / methods
Early Medical Intervention* / organization & administration
Female
Humans
Learning Health System* / organization & administration
Male
Maryland
Mental Health Services* / organization & administration
National Institute of Mental Health (U.S.)
Pennsylvania
Psychotic Disorders* / diagnosis
Psychotic Disorders* / therapy
United States
Young Adult

Abstract

MeSH terms

Grants and funding