RSS 1.0Patient and Service User Care
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Healthcare Professionals' experience with the implementation of a recovery-oriented approach across in-patient units and assertive community treatmentINTRODUCTION: Recovery-oriented approaches in mental health emphasize personal growth, agency, and meaningful community integration. While endorsed by policies and reforms, the practical implementation of such approaches remains challenging, particularly in settings like Denmark, where structural fragmentation, professional hierarchies, and resource constraints may limit the adoption of holistic recovery principles. METHODS: This qualitative study employed focus group interviews with 21 health professionals from inpatient units and Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams in Danish mental health services. Using inductive content analysis, we examined participants' perceptions, understandings, and experiences in implementing personal recovery-oriented practices. RESULTS: Four categories emerged: (1) "Creating New Control in Recovery" highlighted the importance of personal agency and collaborative care involving patients, families, and community stakeholders; (2) "Recovery-Oriented Practice within Professional Parameters" underscored efforts to balance patient preferences with clinical responsibilities; (3) "Barriers to Implementing Recovery-Oriented Practice" revealed systemic constraints, resource limitations, and emotional strain on staff; and (4) "Advocating for a Paradigm Shift towards Recovery-Oriented Approaches" emphasized the desire for interprofessional collaboration, the inclusion of peer workers, and structural reforms. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that while Danish health professionals recognize the value of personal recovery-oriented care, their capacity to realize this approach is constrained by organizational structures, professional hierarchies, and limited resources. Strengthening systemic support, enhancing interprofessional collaboration, and integrating peer expertise are critical to fostering more equitable, person-centered mental health services. These insights contribute to a nuanced understanding of recovery-oriented implementation in European contexts and may inform strategies that better support professionals and service users in achieving sustained, meaningful recovery.
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Mental Health Nursing SkillsNo abstract available
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Perspectives of healthcare professionals on cross-sectoral collaboration between mental health centers and municipalities: A qualitative studyAIMS: This paper aims to explore the intricacies of cross-sectoral collaboration in mental health care, focusing on the perspectives of health professionals across various disciplines. It seeks to understand how collaboration can enhance service delivery and patient outcomes while identifying existing challenges. BACKGROUND: The evolving healthcare landscape emphasizes the importance of integrating services across sectors, particularly in mental health care, to improve continuity and efficiency of care. DESIGN: The study utilizes qualitative methods to investigate health professionals' experiences with cross-sectoral collaboration in mental health services. METHODS: Purposive sampling was used to select 21 health professionals for focus group discussions held at a mental health center in Region Zealand, Denmark. Data was collected through these discussions, and content analysis was performed to extract key themes. The data collection took place in 2022. RESULTS/FINDINGS: Health professionals recognized the potential benefits of cross-sectoral collaboration, such as enhanced service delivery and improved patient outcomes. However, significant barriers were identified, including bureaucratic obstacles, communication gaps, and insufficient organizational support. CONCLUSION: Cross-sectoral collaboration in mental health care offers significant advantages, but challenges must be addressed to fully realize its potential. Efforts should focus on policy reforms, organizational support, and fostering interdisciplinary communication to improve care delivery.
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Outcomes from attachment-based group interventions for foster carers and adoptive parents: A systematic reviewExisting research has shown that group work focused on attachment theory may help carers increase their understanding about the needs of children in care and improve skills in managing difficult behaviours. Despite the potential benefits of attachment-based group interventions, there is a lack of adequate evidence to demonstrate their efficacy among carers and children in care. This systematic review aimed to study the carer and child outcomes from attachment-based group interventions for foster carers and adoptive parents. We included published studies in English that looked at carer and/or child outcomes following attachment-based group interventions for carers fostering or having adopted a child less than 18 years of age. An initial search of relevant databases was completed in June 2021, which was followed up by an updated search in November 2023 and two citation searches, one in June 2022 and another in December 2023. Duplicates were screened and following a review of 91 full texts, 28 articles were included. Qualitative and quantitative outcomes were analysed. Following intervention, there was a general trend of improvements in carer understanding, enhanced skills, better carer responsiveness and more satisfied carer–child relationships. Although there seems to be a perceived benefit from carers, no consistent pattern of change was noted in child psychopathology or challenging behaviours.
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Health professionals on cross-sectoral collaboration between mental health hospitals and municipalities: A critical discourse analysisThis study investigates the role of language in cross-sector collaboration between mental health hospitals and municipalities, focusing on the challenges of maintaining continuity of care and integrating patient-centered approaches. Using Fairclough's framework for critical discourse analysis, we examined focus group interviews with 21 healthcare professionals, including nurses, social workers, and psychiatrists, to identify key themes and patterns in how cross-sector collaboration is discussed. The analysis revealed a dominant medicalized discourse in hospital settings, which often emphasized structured care processes like treatment plans and medication management, overshadowing more flexible, patient-centered approaches common in community-based services. Power dynamics were evident, with hospital professionals frequently positioned as active agents, while patients and community-based workers were portrayed in more passive roles. Although efforts to involve patients in decision-making were noted, these were often controlled by professionals, reflecting a mediated approach to patient empowerment. The findings highlight the cultural and structural divides between hospital and community services and suggest the need for improved communication strategies, integrated care pathways, and a shift toward more inclusive, patient-centered care models. Addressing these discursive barriers is crucial for achieving more effective, integrated, and patient-centered care, ultimately improving outcomes for patients.
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Questions on travel and sexual behaviours negatively impact ethnic minority donor recruitment: Effect of negative word-of-mouth and avoidanceBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Donor selection questions differentially impacting ethnic minorities can discourage donation directly or via negative word-of-mouth. We explore the differential impact of two blood safety questions relating to (i) sexual contacts linked to areas where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) rates are high and (ii) travelling to areas where malaria is endemic. Epidemiological data are used to assess infection risk and the need for these questions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We report two studies. Study 1 is a behavioural study on negative word-of-mouth and avoiding donation among ethnic minorities (n = 981 people from National Health Service Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and the general population: 761 were current donors). Study 2 is an epidemiology study (utilizing NHSBT/UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) surveillance data on HIV-positive donations across the UK blood services between1996 and 2019) to assess whether the sexual risk question contributes to reducing HIV risk and whether travel deferral was more prevalent among ethnic minorities (2015-2019). Studies 1 and 2 provide complementary evidence on the behavioural impact to support policy implications. RESULTS: A high proportion of people from ethnic minorities were discouraged from donating and expressed negative word-of-mouth. This was mediated by perceived racial discrimination within the UK National Health Service. The number of donors with HIV who the sexual contact question could have deferred was low, with between 8% and 9.3% of people from ethnic minorities deferred on travel compared with 1.7% of White people. CONCLUSION: Blood services need to consider ways to minimize negative word-of-mouth, remove questions that are no longer justified on evidence and provide justification for those that remain.
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Characteristics of positive feedback provided by UK health service users: Content analysis of examples from two databasesBACKGROUND: Most feedback received by health services is positive. Our systematic scoping review mapped all available empirical evidence for how positive patient feedback creates healthcare change. Most included papers did not provide specific details on positive feedback characteristics. OBJECTIVE(S): Describe positive feedback characteristics by (1) developing heuristics for identifying positive feedback; (2) sharing annotated feedback examples; (3) describing their positive content. METHOD(S): 200 items were selected from two contrasting databases: (1) https://careopinion.org.uk/; (2) National Health Service (NHS) Friends and Family Test data collected by an NHS trust. Preliminary heuristics and positive feedback categories were developed from a small convenience sample, and iteratively refined. RESULT(S): Categories were identified: positive-only; mixed; narrative; factual; grateful. We propose a typology describing tone (positive-only, mixed), form (factual, narrative) and intent (grateful). Separating positive and negative elements in mixed feedback was sometimes impossible due to ambiguity. Narrative feedback often described the cumulative impact of interactions with healthcare providers, healthcare professionals, influential individuals and community organisations. Grateful feedback was targeted at individual staff or entire units, but the target was sometimes ambiguous. CONCLUSION(S): People commissioning feedback collection systems should consider mechanisms to maximise utility by limiting ambiguity. Since being enabled to provide narrative feedback can allow contributors to make contextualised statements about what worked for them and why, then there may be trade-offs to negotiate between limiting ambiguity, and encouraging rich narratives. Groups tasked with using feedback should plan the human resources needed for careful inspection, and consider providing narrative analysis training. Copyright © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
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Patient participation in mental health care - perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients: A scoping reviewAIM: This scoping review aims to synthesize findings from fourteen selected articles to provide a comprehensive understanding of patient participation in mental healthcare. METHOD: The review analyzed articles employing various qualitative methodologies, including interviews and observations, to explore patient and healthcare professional perspectives. Articles were selected based on their relevance to the topic of patient participation in mental health care. RESULTS: The analysis revealed diverse perspectives on patient participation. Patients' preferences varied, with some preferring shared decision-making while others preferred minimal involvement. Barriers to shared decision-making included fear of judgment and substance misuse concerns. Strategies to manage disagreements and foster trusting relationships were identified. Challenges in implementing patient and public involvement in mental health services were noted, including stigma and inadequate professional training. Interprofessional collaboration was deemed fundamental, although fragmented care pathways and communication breakdowns persisted. Structural conditions and professional expectations significantly influenced patient participation, with a paternalistic approach perpetuating power imbalances. CONCLUSION: Despite challenges, the findings underscored the importance of empowering patients in treatment decision-making, promoting collaborative relationships, and addressing barriers to enhance patient-centered care in mental health settings. Insights from this review contribute to the discourse on patient-centered care, emphasizing the need for holistic approaches prioritizing patient dignity and well-being.
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Experiences and impact of psychiatric inpatient admissions far away from home: A qualitative study with young people, parents/carers and healthcare professionalsBACKGROUND: There are significant clinical, policy and societal concerns about the impact on young people (YP), from admission to psychiatric wards far from home. However, research evidence is scarce. AIMS: To investigate the impact of at-distance admissions to general adolescent units, from the perspectives of YP, parents/carers and healthcare professionals (HCPs) including service commissioners, to inform clinical practice, service development and policy. METHOD: Semistructured interviews with purposive samples of YP aged 13-17 years (n=28) and parents/carers (n=19) across five large regions in England, and a national sample of HCPs (n=51), were analysed using a framework approach. RESULTS: There was considerable agreement between YP, parents/carers and HCPs on the challenges of at-distance admissions. YP and parents/carers had limited or no involvement in decision-making processes around admission and highlighted a lack of available information about individual units. Being far from home posed challenges with maintaining home contact and practical/financial challenges for families visiting. HCPs struggled with ensuring continuity of care, particularly around maintaining access to local clinical teams and educational support. However, some YP perceived separation from their local environment as beneficial because it removed them from unhelpful environments. At-distance admissions provided respite for some families struggling to support their child. CONCLUSIONS: At-distance admissions lead to additional distress, uncertainty, compromised continuity of care and educational, financial and other practical difficulties, some of which could be better mitigated. For a minority, there are some benefits from such admissions. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Standardised online information, accessible prior to admission, is needed for all Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services units. Additional practical and financial burden placed on families needs greater recognition and consideration of potential sources of support. Policy changes should incorporate findings that at-distance or adult ward admissions may be preferable in certain circumstances.
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Health service improvement using positive patient feedback: Systematic scoping reviewBACKGROUND: Healthcare services regularly receive patient feedback, most of which is positive. Empirical studies suggest that health services can use positive feedback to create patient benefit. Our aim was to map all available empirical evidence for how positive patient feedback creates change in healthcare settings. METHODS: Empirical studies in English were systematically identified through database searches (ACM Digital Library, AMED, ASSIA, CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO), forwards and backwards citation, and expert consultation. We summarise the characteristics of included studies and the feedback they consider, present a thematic synthesis of qualitative findings, and provide narrative summaries of quantitative findings. RESULTS: 68 papers were included, describing research conducted across six continents, with qualitative (n = 51), quantitative (n = 10), and mixed (n = 7) methods. Only two studies were interventional. The most common settings were hospitals (n = 27) and community healthcare (n = 19). The most common recipients were nurses (n = 29). Most outcomes described were desirable. These were categorised as (a) short-term emotional change for healthcare workers (including feeling motivated and improved psychological wellbeing); (b) work-home interactional change for healthcare workers (such as improved home-life relationships); (c) work-related change for healthcare workers (such as improved performance and staff retention). Some undesirable outcomes were described, including envy when not receiving positive feedback. The impact of feedback may be moderated by characteristics of particular healthcare roles, such as night shift workers having less interaction time with patients. Some factors moderating the change created by feedback are modifiable. CONCLUSION: Further interventional research is required to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of receiving positive feedback in creating specific forms of change such as increases in staff retention. Healthcare managers may wish to use positive feedback more regularly, and to address barriers to staff receiving feedback.
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The impact of reduced routine community mental healthcare on people from minority ethnic groups during the COVID-19 pandemic: Qualitative study of stakeholder perspectivesBACKGROUND: Enduring ethnic inequalities exist in mental healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic has widened these. AIMS: To explore stakeholder perspectives on how the COVID-19 pandemic has increased ethnic inequalities in mental healthcare. METHOD: A qualitative interview study of four areas in England with 34 patients, 15 carers and 39 mental health professionals from National Health Service (NHS) and community organisations (July 2021 to July 2022). Framework analysis was used to develop a logic model of inter-relationships between pre-pandemic barriers and COVID-19 impacts. RESULTS: Impacts were largely similar across sites, with some small variations (e.g. positive service impacts of higher ethnic diversity in area 2). Pre-pandemic barriers at individual level included mistrust and thus avoidance of services and at a service level included the dominance of a monocultural model, leading to poor communication, disengagement and alienation. During the pandemic remote service delivery, closure of community organisations and media scapegoating exacerbated existing barriers by worsening alienation and communication barriers, fuelling prejudice and division, and increasing mistrust in services. Some minority ethnic patients reported positive developments, experiencing empowerment through self-determination and creative activities. CONCLUSIONS: During the COVID-19 pandemic some patients showed resilience and developed adaptations that could be nurtured by services. However, there has been a reduction in the availability of group-specific NHS and third-sector services in the community, exacerbating pre-existing barriers. As these developments are likely to have long-term consequences for minority ethnic groups' engagement with mental healthcare, they need to be addressed as a priority by the NHS and its partners.
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Healthcare professionals' experiences of recovery-oriented collaboration between mental health centres and municipalities: A qualitative studyCollaboration within mental health centres and with municipalities in Western European healthcare has presented challenges due to structural and cultural disparities. The Danish healthcare system faces obstacles that impact mental healthcare services, particularly in cross-sectorial cooperation. Our aim was to investigate healthcare professionals' experiences of recovery-oriented collaboration within a mental healthcare setting across hospitals and municipalities to gather a deeper understanding of this issue. Twenty-four employees were purposively sampled from mental health centres in Copenhagen and focus group interviews were conducted to explore their perceptions of working together. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data and identify themes and categories. The participants emphasised challenges in communication and coordination to improve collaboration within across the two sectors. This study can contribute to a greater understanding of collaboration between mental health centres and municipalities. It aims to inspire improvements in communication, coordination, and the optimisation of mental health service delivery across sectors.
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The last chance to get it right: the experience of health professionals delivering end-of-life care in an in-patient mental health setting. A modified critical review of literatureThe purpose of this modified critical review of literature is to draw upon the contemporary evidence base to explore the lived experiences of healthcare professionals delivering end-of-life care to patients cared for in mental healthcare settings. People of severe and persistent mental illness are a very vulnerable cohort of patients. They often live with higher-than-average co-morbidities, low than average life expectancy and high mortality rates. Little is known about the experience of mental health professionals delivering end-of-life care to those patients whose care needs can only be met in an in-patient facility. This review aims to provide a window into this experience and draw out the barriers and enablers to good care. For this review, 64 unique titles and abstracts were identified through the search of six databases. The appraisal of these papers resulted in six meeting the inclusion and quality criteria and subsequent syntheses of the findings were presented into three themes:1) There was a recurrent lack of preparedness of both services and staff to assess and meet the needs of patients at the end-of-life in mental healthcare settings.2) There was a clear need for collaborative work between mental and physical healthcare professionals; however, this was often difficult to achieve.3) Patients at the end-of-life with Severe Mental Illness poses specifically challenges which professional caring for them need to be aware of.The findings of the review were in keeping with other work in the area and provides four main recommendations for practice:1) Services must have a clearly defined collaborative approach to working relationships between palliative care and mental healthcare professionals.2) Specific training and education for mental healthcare professionals in end-of-life care and visa verse for physical healthcare professionals when caring for a patient with a comorbid serious mental illness.3) Thought should be put into the environment of an in-patient mental healthcare ward. While it is recognised the need to maintain safety of patients in these environments, considerations such as the availability to the correct equipment, décor and access to meaningful activity is invaluable for both care giver and patient.4) Services should consider that their policies and procedures reflect that end-of-life care could be a need of any patient in a services care. The ability to refer to policy and procedure was found to be a comfort and a supportive measure for staff caring for patients at the end-of-life.
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Quality improvement project for out-of-hours clinical handoverAim Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) provides a variety of mental health services across Nottinghamshire. During out-of-hours work, junior doctors cover each of these three main hospital sites.The Health Education East Midlands (HEE) Quality Management visit concluded the handover system in NHFT was not fit for purpose, posing significant risks to both patients and junior doctors.The aim of our quality improvement project was to assess these concerns using a mixed methodology, including local surveys and audit; and secondly to make any necessary quality improvements to the handover process and guidance. The pre-implementation evaluation of the handover system in use consisted of a survey and an audit.Methods The quality improvement strategy involved a two-pronged approach, which included the development of a new IT-based handover recording tool and improving education and training in its use.We used Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles between August 2015 and August 2016 to implement changes.Phase 2 of the project involved audit, education and training to consolidate and reinforce the change to make it sustainable through creation of a white board animation video for junior doctors.Results Percentage of recorded handovers was the main outcome measure. Quality outcomes improved after the phase 1 and were sustained during the phase 2 of the project due to introduction of mandatory recording fields.Conclusion We learnt that the active engagement of end users in the designing and implementation of the new IT handover system was a key factor in optimal development. We learnt that continuous induction, training and monitoring are important to sustain high usage of the system. Also, use of project management tools from the start will improve efficiency and time management. This project demonstrates how existing resources within a NHS Trust can be collaboratively and iteratively deployed to improve patient care.
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Development of a peer support intervention to improve the experience and outcomes of discharge from inpatient mental health care: the role of experiential knowledge in a coproduced approachOBJECTIVES: Peer support is rapidly being introduced into mental health services internationally, yet peer support interventions are often poorly described, limiting the usefulness of research in informing policy and practice. This paper reports the development of a peer support intervention that aims to improve outcomes of discharge from inpatient to community mental health care. People with experiential knowledge of using mental health services-peer workers and service user researchers-were involved in all stages of developing the intervention: generating intervention components; producing the intervention handbook; piloting the intervention. RESULTS: Systematic review and expert panels, including our Lived Experience Advisory Panel, identified 66 candidate intervention components in five domains: Recruitment and Role Description of Peer Workers; Training for Peer Workers; Delivery of Peer Support; Supervision and Support for Peer Workers; Organisation and Team. A series of Local Advisory Groups were used to prioritise components and explore implementation issues using consensus methods, refining an intervention blueprint. A peer support handbook and peer worker training programme were produced by the study team and piloted in two study sites. Feedback workshops were held with peer workers and their supervisors to produce a final handbook and training programme. The ENRICH trial is registered with the ISRCTN clinical trial register, number ISRCTN 10043328, and was overseen by an independent steering committee and a data monitoring committee.
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Exploring the impacts of organisational structure, policy and practice on the health inequalities of marginalised communities: Illustrative cases from the UK healthcare systemThis paper explores how organisational structure, policies and practices in healthcare can inadvertently disadvantage marginalised populations (e.g. individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds) and reinforce health inequalities. We draw upon three diverse UK healthcare settings (long term care institutions, high security hospitals and community pharmacies) to illustrate how systemic injustices negatively impact on access to care, treatment and health outcomes. The first case study considers the care of older people within nursing homes; specifically the disempowering effects of this service structure and impacts of choice reduction upon health and their access to health provision. The second case study explores the impact of security restrictions upon patients within high security hospitals, focusing particularly on the maintenance of relationships and support networks outside of the hospital. The third and final case study, draws upon a national community pharmacy medicine management service to illustrate ways in which policies and guidelines inadvertently obstruct patients' engagement with the service within a community setting. We draw upon these settings to highlight inequalities within different contexts and to illustrate the ways in which well intended services can inadvertently disadvantage marginalised communities in multiple ways.
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Applying a new concept of embedding qualitative research: an example from a quantitative study of carers of people with later stage dementiaBACKGROUND: Qualitative methods are increasingly included in larger studies to provide a richer understanding of people's experience. This paper explores the potential of using a novel approach to embedded qualitative design as part of an observational study examining the effectiveness of home support for people in later stage dementia in England. The method involved collecting and analysing unsolicited conversational comments made by participants as they completed standardised measures. An evaluation of the method is presented using the voices of participants to illustrate its potential. METHODS: The conversations of 17 carers recruited to an observational study were audio recorded to gather commentary made while completing a structured interview. Data were interrogated using thematic analysis to investigate the feasibility of conducting an embedded qualitative study, the potential richness of the material and participants' reactions to formal questioning and participating in research. RESULTS: The findings revealed that qualitative data were available from this approach. Analysis generated three themes from carers: conflicting carer emotions; the importance of maintaining normality and agency within day-to-day life; and tensions between these desires and making use of formal services. Important issues for carers were revealed establishing the benefit of using the method. The advantages of exploiting unsolicited conversation included enhancing understanding of people's lived experience, reducing participant burden in research and easing the process of data collection. In addition, it provided an opportunity to evaluate individuals' experience of the research process. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate how unsolicited comments during structured interviews may appear incidental but can reveal important aspects of living with dementia. The method also emphasised methodological challenges for research in dementia, including the influence and impact of the research context. Further research is required to evaluate the method with other groups including people with dementia themselves.
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Needs for care and service use in dementia: Baseline assessment of Portuguese participants in the actifcare cohort study [Portuguese]Introduction: People with dementia and their relatives should have timely access to formal care in the community. The EU-Actifcare project analysed access to and use of formal services, as related to unmet needs for care. We describe the cohort study implementation and baseline results in Portugal, with a focus on needs for care and service use assessments. Material and Methods: Our convenience sample consisted of 66 dyads of community-dwelling people with mild to moderate dementia and no significant use of formal services, and their informal carers. Measures included the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly and Resources Utilization in Dementia. Results: People with dementia had unmet needs (mean 1.1; SD 1.7), mainly regarding company (23%), psychological distress (20%), and daily activities (14%). Family caregivers spent 150 minutes/day (median) providing support, and 44% had psychological distress unmet needs. Problems with access to or use of formal services, when present, were frequently due to attitudes or lack of knowledge of any or both members of the dyad. Discussion: The recruitment process was challenging, since the inclusion criteria were restrictive. Not claiming generalizability, we recruited a typical sample of Portuguese people with mild to moderate dementia and no significant formal community support. Levels and type of unmet needs found in some participants would call for formal support, were it not for problems regarding access or use. Conclusion: There are difficulties regarding timely access and effective use of formal care in dementia, along with relevant unmet needs.
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Dementia care model: Promoting personhood through co-productionBackground Despite robust evidence on its effectiveness, current approaches that aspire to person-centred care (PCC) frequently locate people with dementia as passive recipients rather than as active agents in the care process. We define active involvement in care as ‘co-production’. In order to investigate co-production, we set out to review the evidence concerning personhood and dignity in dementia care. Method We adopted a meta-ethnographic approach to synthesise the predominantly- qualitative literature on personhood and dignity in dementia care using EMBASE, PsycINFO, and ASSIA databases. We also included relevant policy documents. Members of Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) group were consulted throughout. Results A total of 14 empirical studies were subjected to content analysis. Three themes were identified: dignity and personhood, coping with dementia, and barriers to dignity in care. The findings suggest that positive strategies and coping mechanisms are associated with superior outcomes in relation to: sense of self, dignity and quality of care. The 22 policy documents yielded six themes pertaining to co-production: the part played by the person with dementia, family, environment, behaviour, governance and law, and health care partnership. Conclusion Personhood in dementia care is enhanced through co-production, by actively participating in social, civic and political life. This is promoted through behavioural changes at the micro and macro levels of society, including providers of care being trained in co-producing care and policy makers creating opportunities with, rather than for people with dementia.
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A feasibility trial of Power Up: Smartphone app to support patient activation and shared decision making for mental health in young peopleBACKGROUND: Digital tools have the potential to support patient activation and shared decision making in the face of increasing levels of mental health problems in young people. There is a need for feasibility trials of digital interventions to determine the usage and acceptability of interventions. In addition, there is a need to determine the ability to recruit and retain research participants to plan rigorous effectiveness trials and, therefore, develop evidence-based recommendations for practice. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the feasibility of undertaking a cluster randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a smartphone app, Power Up, co-designed with young people to support patient activation and shared decision making for mental health. METHODS: Overall, 270 young people were screened for participation and 52.5% (142/270) were recruited and completed baseline measures across 8 specialist child mental health services (n=62, mean age 14.66 (SD 1.99) year; 52% [32/62] female) and 2 mainstream secondary schools (n=80; mean age 16.88 [SD 0.68] years; 46% [37/80] female). Young people received Power Up in addition to management as usual or received management as usual only. Posttrial interviews were conducted with 11 young people from the intervention arms (specialist services n=6; schools n=5). RESULTS: Usage data showed that there were an estimated 50 (out of 64) users of Power Up in the intervention arms. Findings from the interviews indicated that young people found Power Up to be acceptable. Young people reported (1) their motivation for use of Power Up, (2) the impact of use, and (3) barriers to use. Out of the 142 recruited participants, 45.0% (64/142) completed follow-up measures, and the approaches to increase retention agreed by the steering group are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that the app is acceptable, and it is feasible to examine the effectiveness of Power Up in a prospective cluster randomized controlled trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02552797; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02552797 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6td6MINP0).
