Abstract

Author(s)

Law Edwards, Elise Tripodi

Introduction

Patients admitted to the Forensic Hospital (FH) experience pronounced weight gain, increasing their risk of developing metabolic disorders. Barriers exist at the patient, staff, and organisational level to implementing the recommended physical health guidelines in a high secure forensic mental health setting.

The presentation outlines actions taken to produce an implementation plan for the integration of Exercise Physiology (EP) and Dietetic services in a high secure forensic mental health setting.

Method

In 2021, the Exercise Physiologist (EP) and Dietitian began a joint project to develop an implementation plan for the delivery of these services
in the FH. A literature review, patient focus groups, staff interviews and benchmarking against mental health services contributed to the development of an implementation plan.

Results & Findings

Patient feedback identified insufficient equipment and limited access to
cooking programs. Patients requested healthier food availability, incentivised group programs, and individual consultations led by specialised clinicians.
Staff interviews found there was limited understanding of EP and dietetic services. Embedded pathways and processes are required to ensure evidence-based
interventions are actioned and prioritised.

Discussion

It is important to understand integrated physical healthcare and the duty of mental health services in providing high quality, effective physical health intervention. Delegates will learn practical ways to embed physical health services in a unique
but comparable setting. We will discuss how the expectations, preferences and requirements of consumers can be evaluated and explore the complexity of integrating exercise physiology (EP) and dietetic services in a unique setting.