The Paliperidone ER Observational Study of Economic, Functional, and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Schizophrenia

This is a 12-month, retrospective (a study that looks backward in time, usually using medical records and interviews with patients who are already known to have a disease)/prospective (a study in which the patients are identified and then followed forward in time for the outcome of the study), open-label (all people involved know the identity of the assigned drug) study of clinical, functional and economic outcomes in schizophrenia patients who require a change in antipsychotic treatment. The patients will be randomly (study drug assigned by chance like flipping a coin) assigned to receive either paliperidone extended release (ER) or one of two other prescriber-selected oral atypical antipsychotic (AAPs). The AAPs include aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, or ziprasidone. Baseline will be defined as the time when the patient begins to take paliperidone ER or the other AAP. The study has a "pre/post" design in which paliperidone ER patients serve as their own controls for the analyses of healthcare utilization. If a potential patient needs to switch from their current antipsychotic medication they are eligible for this study. The investigator will determine that the patient may benefit equally from switching to either paliperidone ER (extended release) or to either of 2 other antipsychotics. Healthcare use over the 12-month period prior to baseline (the "pre-period") will be compared to the 12-month period following the start of paliperidone ER or other AAP (the "post-period"). Data for both periods will be obtained by study investigators from enrolled patients' medical charts. Patients will continue to be followed in the study, regardless of change in treatment, until visit 5 at month 12 or if withdrawn from the study. All patients will receive medical care consistent with local medical practices.