Building trust in treatment decisions with open dialogue
Approaches to treatment evolve over time. Engaging with patients and caregivers through clear, ongoing dialogue can strengthen relationships and support the care journey.1
Your patients may be more open to long-acting injectables (LAIs) than you think. How you approach the topic can make a difference in their consideration.2
Step 1: Starting the conversation
Talking about LAIs with patients doesn’t have to be challenging. Tips for starting a practical,
patient-friendly conversation include:
Identifying life goals
Explore what matters most to the patient by asking questions such as:
- “What does a good day look like for you?”
- “What are you hoping to get out of treatment?”
- “What are some things you enjoy doing or would like to get back to doing?”
Linking goals to schizophrenia treatment
With an understanding of their life goals, explain to your patient how adherence, symptom control, and relapse prevention may help support those goals.6 You can say something like:
“Relapses can make it difficult to stay well over time, so staying on treatment is one of the best ways to keep you on track. If taking medication every day feels challenging, you’re not alone. We can find ways to make it easier together.7,8”
Presenting treatment options
Now you can begin sharing clinically appropriate treatment options:
- Provide a balanced explanation of LAIs and oral medications
- Frame LAIs as an approach that may align with their goals
- Discuss the similarities and differences of various LAIs
Step 2: Understanding patient motivations for LAIs
Understanding what motivates patients to choose LAIs can lead to meaningful treatment discussions. It can also help ensure
LAIs are part of a shared decision, not just a recommendation.3
They recognize gaps in their current routine and desire change3
They believe the advantages of an LAI are right for them4
They prefer a treatment that doesn’t remind them of their condition more frequently
than necessary5
Step 3: Continuing the conversation
Patients may move through periods of resistance, curiosity, and contemplation on the path to
readiness. You can support their reflection in the following ways.
Keep the door open
Even when a patient isn’t ready to move forward with an LAI, how you respond can preserve trust and keep future conversations open:
- “We don’t have to decide today.”
- “Let’s revisit this if things
change.” - “If remembering medication becomes harder, we can talk again.”
Keep their goals in mind
Reconnecting the conversation to what matters most can gently shift the focus from the treatment itself to the life your patient wants to build:
- “If your priorities shift, we can adjust the plan together.”
- “We can take this one step at a time, with your goals in mind.”
- “If daily medication ever feels like a barrier, we can reconsider options.”
of patients accepted an LAI after 3 or fewer attempts.9
*Based on analysis of a 2023 survey of HCP perspectives toward LAIs.
Revisiting the conversation can
make a difference
Each relapse makes it more difficult to stay well over time. Consistent dialogue with patients facilitated an increase in acceptance of LAIs.8,9
Offer your patients helpful information about an LAI for schizophrenia
The top reason US patients living with schizophrenia accepted an LAI was because of a recommendation from their healthcare provider.10*
Start the impactful conversation*The Attitudes DriVing regional differences in LAI ANtipsychotic utilization for schizophrenia among healthcare professionals, patients, and CaregivErs (ADVANCE) study was designed to elucidate HCP, patient, and caregiver attitudes and perceptions toward LAIs that drive regional differences in LAI use.
References: 1. Potkin S, Bera R, Zubek D, Lau G. Patient and prescriber perspectives on long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics and analysis of in-office discussion regarding LAI treatment for schizophrenia. BMC Psychiatry. 2013;13:261. 2. Weiden PJ, Roma RS, Velligan DI, Alphs L, DiChiara M, Davidson B. The challenge of offering long-acting antipsychotic therapies: a preliminary discourse analysis of psychiatrist recommendations for injectable therapy to patients with schizophrenia. J Clin Psychiatry. 2015;76(6):684-690. 3. Kisely S, Ligate L, Roy M-A, Lavery T. Applying motivational interviewing to the initiation of long-acting injectable atypical antipsychotics. Australas Psychiatry. 2012;20(2):138-142. 4. Medrano S, Abdel-Baki A, Stip E, Potvin S. Three-year naturalistic study on early use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics in first episode psychosis. Psychopharmacol Bull. 2018;48(4):25-61. 5. Blackwood C, Sanga P, Nuamah I, et al. Patients’ preference for long-acting injectable versus oral antipsychotics in schizophrenia: results from the patient-reported Medication Preference Questionnaire. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2020;14:1093-1102. 6. American Psychiatric Association. The American Psychiatric Association Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Schizophrenia. 3rd ed. American Psychiatric Association; 2021. 7. MacEwan JP, Forma FM, Shafrin J, Hatch A, Lakdawalla DN, Lindenmayer J-P. Patterns of adherence to oral atypical antipsychotics among patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2016;22(11):1349-1361. 8. Andreasen NC, Liu D, Ziebell S, Vora A, Ho B-C. Relapse duration, treatment intensity, and brain tissue loss in schizophrenia: a prospective longitudinal MRI study. Am J Psychiatry.
2013;170(6):609-615. 9. Franzenburg KR, Hansen RT, Suett M, et al. Perspectives of psychiatrists and psychiatric nonphysicians on treating schizophrenia with long-acting injectable antipsychotics: subgroup analysis from the multinational ADVANCE study. Poster presented at: Annual Psych Congress Elevate; May 28-31, 2025; Las Vegas, NV. 10. Franzenburg KR, Hansen RT, Suett M, et al. Country-specific factors influencing patients’ willingness to use a long-acting injectable antipsychotic to treat schizophrenia: patient and caregiver ADVANCE survey results. Poster presented at: Annual Congress of the Schizophrenia International Research Society; March 29-April 2, 2025; Chicago, IL.
up next
Explore LAIs
Learn more about how LAIs can positively impact people living with schizophrenia.
Get the Facts