How often did patients and psychiatrists disagree about the difficulty of reducing benzodiazepines?

A note saying that a patient is reluctant to reduce a dose records one perspective. A study that asked patients and their treating psychiatrists the same question found that their views sometimes diverged in both directions.

What the questionnaires showed

The study paired answers from 155 patients who had received benzodiazepine treatment for more than one year with answers from their eight referring psychiatrists. Thirteen percent of patients rated reduction as more difficult than their psychiatrist did, while 25% rated it as less difficult. The authors also explored how responses about treatment beliefs related to these differences.

What the answers tell you about an individual chart

The questionnaires captured perceived difficulty. They did not follow everyone through a standardized taper or verify who later reduced their dose. When reading a chart, distinguish a patient’s reported concerns, the prescriber’s assessment, the plan the parties discussed, and any subsequent changes documented in the medication record. Each provides evidence about a different step in the treatment history.

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