It began with Johns Hopkins psychiatry residents trying to manage copious notes that captured nuggets of clinical wisdom from experienced clinicians and lecturers. All the components aligned: the publishing technology for digital delivery across devices at point-of-care, the leadership who recognized the utility of an encyclopedic knowledge repository for primary care clinicians on the front lines of mental health care, and the residents and experienced clinicians to develop over 300 searchable modules, from “Abuse and Neglect” to “Zuranolone.”

The Johns Hopkins Psychiatry Guide serves over 22,000 individual subscribers and over 150 institutional site licenses — including other academic institutions, community health care systems and even whole national governments.

What guided the directions for updating and revamping the psychiatry guide?
Paul Nestadt, M.D., managing editor: Our approach from the start was to update the guide as needed, so over the past 10 years, we have updated the content piece by piece; however, with some developments and feedback from users, it was time for an overall refresh of contents. We heard about the need for patient education resources and streamlining the pharmaceutical sections. We also took this opportunity to add the psychedelic medicine modules.

Could you walk us through the pharmaceutical sections? How were they improved to better serve the clinicians?
Sujin Lee Weinstein, Pharm.D., BCPP, pharmacology editor: Our challenge was to condense the colossal amount of information on medications from the manufacturers’ fine print, treatment guidelines and primary literature. Our rigorous panel review aimed to highlight the most relevant content for busy health care practitioners. The “Expert Comments” section highlights key prescribing considerations and offers practical guidance from experienced clinicians.

What was your guide in developing the “Psychedelic Medicine” module from scratch?
Bit Yaden, M.D., module editor: We grounded the topic in the clinical trial context, and focused on the three psychedelic therapies clinicians are most likely to hear about in the media and from their patients. We tried to feature our faculty members who are researchers at the forefront of psychedelic medicine, while also incorporating trainee authors who were eager to learn and contribute. We had to reckon with the misinformation around this topic, and translate current clinical research into digestible information. We also had to acknowledge the reality of recreational use of some of these substances, and provide clinicians with information on responsible harm reduction and counseling.

How did the resident-driven approach enhance the content in developing/revamping the modules?
Anne Ruble, M.D., M.P.H., managing editor: As learners, the residents’ fresh eyes were able to anticipate what other clinicians might want to know. They were enthusiastic about collaborating and contributing to institutional efforts in academia and assisting other clinicians at large. They chose modules that interested them, and had a chance to dive deeper; it was also an opportunity for them to collaborate with experienced clinicians.