Exploring the Potential of Ketamine Microdoses to Acute Stress in Frontline Healthcare Workers: A Study Using OutcomeMD

Imagine being able to revolutionize the way we approach healthcare by using cutting-edge research methods that truly measure the success of treatment through the eyes of the patient. That's exactly what Dr.Atoian's team has accomplished in their latest study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of healthcare workers, and Dr. Atoian's team wanted to find a solution to alleviate their symptoms. They decided to test the effectiveness of ketamine micro-doses as a treatment option for acute stress disorder.

Ketamine has been used as an anesthetic for decades, but recent studies have found that it has potential in treating mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Traditional ketamine treatments involve "macro-doses" that can be intense and require multiple visits to a clinic. This study aimed to see if a non-psychedelic, micro-dose treatment strategy could be just as effective.

The team used OutcomeMD, an electronic Patient Reported Outcome platform, to measure patients' symptoms and quality of life. OutcomeMD calculates the raw score using medical literature standards and then produces a normalized and averaged score of 0–100 to make the information easily understandable to patients and providers in real time. Progress was tracked and assessed against a baseline value obtained before the start of treatment. The team used OutcomeMD's method of calculating percent change to report improvement (Follow-up Score-Initial Score)/(Maximum Score-Initial Score).

The results were astounding - 100% of patients experienced improved anxiety, 92% experienced improved stress, 96% experienced improved PTSD, and 91% experienced improved depression.

These findings are not only groundbreaking but also have the potential to change the way we approach treatment for acute stress disorder and other mood disorders. Ketamine micro-doses are non-invasive, low-cost, and easy to scale, making them a much more accessible treatment option than traditional ketamine treatments. And unlike benzodiazepines, it does not have the risk of physical dependency or safety concerns.

This is truly an exciting time for medical research as we continue to push the boundaries of what's possible and make a real difference in people's lives. Dr. Atoian's team's study is a prime example of how utilizing PROMs in research can lead to revolutionary advancements in healthcare.