Data Project

The Ketamine Data Project is a multi-center collaborative voluntary data collection system created to enable an analysis of the work and outcome of ketamine therapies. As ketamine for psychiatric practice is not under patent, The Ketamine Data Project represents the first effort to analyze the burgeoning ketamine practice. The Ketamine Data Project is not beholden to any interests– commercial or practitioner—and the data collected is not owned but rather housed and reported, and always transparent for inquiry.

The Ketamine Data Project is part of the Ketamine Research Foundation, and The Ketamine Psychotherapy Associates (KPA) membership organization. its formats are proprietary to it. Phil Wolfson MD has created this research tool using the Redcap system administered through Vanderbilt University.

The Ketamine Data Project has created a set of digital documents to enable diverse data collection: Intake, Visit and Termination forms–with a comprehensive set of potential metrics adaptable to any participating site. This will enable digital data collection and rapid analysis with complex sorts. The forms may serve as each patient’s chart with room for commentary so that notes may be entered. It serves as a replacement for written paper notes.

Participation in The Ketamine Data Project is on a site-by-site basis. All information is coded, HIPAA compliant and without any identifying data. A site may elect to use only certain forms, or code only certain information. Each site will then have its own signature. However, The Ketamine Data Project does urge all sites as much as possible to use the same data and reporting so that data is relatively uniform, complete, and robust for the project as a whole.

Each participating site will be enrolled as its own center in Redcap. Members of KPA are automatically eligible for using Redcap and there is an instructional video and real time training and consultation in its use is available. As the methods of each site and each of their participants are coded, The Ketamine Data Project will be able to look at the value of different ketamine methodologies. Reflection back of site data is confidential and will not be publicly exposed save with explicit permission of the particular site. Every effort has been and will be made to make the data sort relevant. Feedback and modification are welcome. We seek to publish the results of The Ketamine Data Project in refereed journals as open-label studies. The goal is to present the legitimacy of ketamine therapies, their safety, and benefits.

Participation in The Ketamine Data Project is voluntary. KPA members are eligible without charge through their membership annual fee. We ask each non-KPA site wishing to participate for a yearly fee of $300 to cover costs. Data may be submitted to Redcap using iPads, laptops, or similar devices.

The Ketamine Data Project anticipates a 1-3-year data collection period, with immediate data collection and analysis for a site’s past experiences with patients, and for a rapid initial view– to be further developed and amplified by collection of data over time as practices continue and morph.

We have already published in the Journal of Psychoactive drugs our first study of 235 patients in three different practices. Currently, we have accumulated data for over 600 new patients and will be working towards a new publication by the Fall of 2023.
We believe that participation will benefit sites and the overall effort to understand our various ketamine practices and lead to a beneficial flow of information that ultimately will impact ketamine practice positively for practitioners and patients.

Our primary interest(s) is to track ketamine treatment in its various formats as related to outcomes, focusing on diagnosis, dosage and duration of ketamine therapy, age, sex, weight, other medications (for example lamotrigine benzos, opiates, and stimulants being of particular interest), concomitant use of marijuana and other psychoactives, alcohol use, and our practice models themselves. Other data that may affect treatment with ketamine is included. Standardization of measures allows for cross site comparison. Several practitioner assessment tools are included to round out the Measures results. Of interest is the effect of ketamine’s psychedelic properties on patient outcomes.

We look forward to your inquiry and involvement. Registration for outside practitioners is below. Qualified by training in KAP practitioners are urged to join KPA and will automatically as members be eligible for Redcap participation.