3OBJECTIVE

For the purpose of each project objective, the patient population includes adolescents and adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The term schizophrenia will be implied to include schizoaffective disorder for the purposes of this document.

The objectives of this project are to:

• Identify and appraise the clinical and cost-effectiveness evidence pertaining to use of AAP combination and high-dose treatment strategies in the defined population and to develop evidence-based optimal use recommendations for these strategies.
• Identify current utilization of AAP combination and high-dose treatment strategies in Canada.
• Identify current practices of physicians and patients regarding the use of AAP combination and high-dose treatment strategies in Canada.
• Identify differences (i.e., the gaps) between optimal prescribing and use of AAP combination and high-dose treatment strategies, as well as actual current utilization and practice.
• Identify potential barriers to optimal use of AAP combination and high-dose treatment strategies.
• Identify key messages to encourage optimal prescribing and use of AAP combination and high-dose treatment strategies.
• Identify effective activities and strategies (interventions), which could be directed toward a variety of audiences such as health and allied health professionals, patients, or government decision-makers, to encourage optimal prescribing and use of AAP combination therapy and high-dose treatment strategies.
• Develop intervention tools to support optimal prescribing and use of AAP combination therapy and high-dose treatment strategies.
• Support implementation of tools and evaluation.
• Develop evaluation mechanisms to measure the impact of intervention tools.