Barriers and Facilitators to High Emergency Department Use Among Patients with Mental Disorders: A Qualitative Investigation.

This qualitative study explored reasons for high emergency department (ED) use (3 + visits/year) among 299 patients with mental disorders (MD) recruited in four ED in Quebec, Canada. A conceptual framework including healthcare system and ED organizational features, patient profiles, and professional practice guided the content analysis. Results highlighted insufficient access to and inadequacy of outpatient care. While some patients were quite satisfied with ED care, most criticized the lack of referrals or follow-up care. Patient profiles justifying high ED use were strongly associated with health and social issues perceived as needing immediate care. The main barriers in professional practice involved lack of MD expertise among primary care clinicians, and insufficient follow-up by psychiatrists in response to patient needs. Collaboration with outpatient care may be prioritized to reduce high ED use and improve ED interventions by strengthening the discharge process, and increasing access to outpatient care.

Implementing Key Strategies for Successful Network Integration in the Quebec Substance-Use Disorders Programme.

BACKGROUND: Fragmentation and lack of coordination often occur among organisations offering treatment for individuals with substance-use disorders. Better integration from a system perspective within a network of organisations offering substance-use disorder services can be developed using various integration strategies at the administrative and clinical levels. This study aims to identify integration strategies implemented in Quebec substance-use disorder networks and to assess their strengths and limitations. METHODS: A total of 105 stakeholders representing two regions and four local substance-use disorder networks participated in focus groups or individual interviews. Thematic qualitative and descriptive quantitative analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Six types of service integration strategies have been implemented to varying degrees in substance-use disorder networks. They are: 1) coordination activities-governance, 2) primary-care consolidation models, 3) information and monitoring management tools, 4) service coordination strategies, 5) clinical evaluation tools and 6) training activities. CONCLUSION: Important investments have been made in Quebec for the training and assessment of individuals with substance-use disorders, particularly in terms of support for emergency room liaison teams and the introduction of standardised clinical evaluation tools. However, the development of integration strategies was insufficient to ensure the implementation of successful networks. Planning, consolidation of primary care for substance-use disorders and systematic implementation of various clinical and administrative integration strategies are needed in order to ensure a better continuum of care for individuals with substance-use disorders.

[Profiles of agencies serving the homeless or those at risk of homelessness in the region of Montreal]. / Portrait et dynamique des organismes desservant les personnes itinérantes ou à risque d'itinérance dans la région de Montréal.

This article presents a study of organizations serving people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (PHRH) in Montreal, as well as the determinants of their inter-organizational relationships. The study shows that greater inter-organizational collaboration is needed, particularly within the network of health and social services (NHSS), to deal with the concomitant problems faced by PHRH. Among determinants that have an impact on the extent of inter-organizational relationships are the number of services offered, the appreciation of the relationships between organizations within the NHSS, and the ratio of Anglophones among the homeless and of individuals with gambling problems.

Management of mental health problems by general practitioners in Quebec.

OBJECTIVE: To document the management of mental health problems (MHPs) by general practitioners. DESIGN: A mixed-method study consisting of a self-administered questionnaire and qualitative interviews. An analysis was also performed of Régie de l'assurance maladie du Québec administrative data on medical procedures. SETTING: Quebec. PARTICIPANTS: Overall, 1415 general practitioners from different practice settings were invited to complete a questionnaire; 970 general practitioners were contacted. A subgroup of 60 general practitioners were contacted to participate in interviews. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The annual frequency of consultations over MHPs, either common (CMHPs) or serious (SMHPs), clinical practices, collaborative practices, factors that either support or interfere with the management of MHPs, and recommendations for improving the health care system. RESULTS: The response rate was 41% (n = 398 general practitioners) for the survey and 63% (n = 60) for the interviews. Approximately 25% of visits to general practitioners are related to MHPs. Nearly all general practitioners manage CMHPs and believed themselves competent to do so; however, the reverse is true for the management of SMHPs. Nearly 20% of patients with CMHPs are referred (mainly to psychosocial professionals), whereas nearly 75% of patients with SMHPs are referred (mostly to psychiatrists and emergency departments). More than 50% of general practitioners say that they do not have any contact with resources in the mental health field. Numerous factors influence the management of MHPs: patients' profiles (the complexity of the MHP, concomitant disorders); individual characteristics of the general practitioner (informal network, training); the professional culture (working in isolation, formal clinical mechanisms); the institutional setting (multidisciplinarity, staff or consultant); organization of services (resources, formal coordination); and environment (policies). CONCLUSION: The key role played by general practitioners and their support of the management of MHPs were evident, especially for CMHPs. For more optimal management of primary mental health care, multicomponent strategies, such as shared care, should be used more often.

General practitioners' management of mental disorders: a rewarding practice with considerable obstacles.

BACKGROUND: Primary care improvement is the cornerstone of current reforms. Mental disorders (MDs) are a leading cause of morbidity worldwide and widespread in industrialised countries. MDs are treated mainly in primary care by general practitioners (GPs), even though the latter ability to detect, diagnose, and treat patients with MDs is often considered unsatisfactory. This article examines GPs' management of MDs in an effort to acquire more information regarding means by which GPs deal with MD cases, impact of such cases on their practices, factors that enable or hinder MD management, and patient-management strategies. METHODS: This study employs a mixed-method approach with emphasis on qualitative investigation. Based on a previous survey of 398 GPs in Quebec, Canada, 60 GPs representing a variety of practice settings were selected for further study. A 10-minute-long questionnaire comprising 27 items was administered, and 70-minute-long interviews were conducted. Quantitative (SPSS) and qualitative (NVivo) analyses were performed. RESULTS: At least 20% of GP visits were MD-related. GPs were comfortable managing common MDs, but not serious MDs. GPs' based their treatment of MDs on pharmacotherapy, support therapy, and psycho-education. They used clinical intuition with few clinical tools, and closely followed their patients with MDs. Practice features (salary or hourly fees payment; psycho-social teams on-site; strong informal networks), and GPs' individual characteristics (continuing medical education; exposure and interest in MDs; traits like empathy) favoured MD management. Collaboration with psychologists and psychiatrists was considered key to good MD management. Limited access to specialists, system fragmentation, and underdeveloped group practice and shared-care models were impediments. MD management was seen as burdensome because it required more time, flexibility, and emotional investment. Strategies exist to reduce the burden (one-problem-per-visit rule; longer time slots). GPs found MD practice rewarding as patients were seen as grateful and more complying with medical recommendations compared to other patients, generally leading to positive outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: To improve MD management, this study highlights the importance of extending multidisciplinary GP practice settings with salary or hourly fee payment; access to psychotherapeutic and psychiatric expertise; and case-discussion training involving local networks of GPs and MD specialists that encourage both knowledge transfer and shared care.

Collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and mental healthcare professionals within the context of reforms in Quebec.

Background In the context of the high prevalence and impact of mental disorders worldwide, and less than optimal utilisation of services and adequacy of care, strengthening primary mental healthcare should be a leading priority. This article assesses the state of collaboration among general practitioners (GPs), psychiatrists and psychosocial mental healthcare professionals, factors that enable and hinder shared care, and GPs' perceptions of best practices in the management of mental disorders. A collaboration model is also developed. Methods The study employs a mixed-method approach, with emphasis on qualitative investigation. Drawing from a previous survey representative of the Quebec GP population, 60 GPs were selected for further investigation. Results Globally, GPs managed mental healthcare patients in solo practice in parallel or sequential follow-up with mental healthcare professionals. GPs cited psychologists and psychiatrists as their main partners. Numerous hindering factors associated with shared care were found: lack of resources (either professionals or services); long waiting times; lack of training, time and incentives for collaboration; and inappropriate GP payment modes. The ideal practice model includes GPs working in multidisciplinary group practice in their own settings. GPs recommended expanding psychosocial services and shared care to increase overall access and quality of care for these patients. Conclusion As increasing attention is devoted worldwide to the development of optimal integrated primary care, this article contributes to the discussion on mental healthcare service planning. A culture of collaboration has to be encouraged as comprehensive services and continuity of care are key recovery factors of patients with mental disorders.

[General practitioners: practices and integration of mental health care in Québec]. / Médecins omnipraticiens : pratiques et intégration des soins en santé mentale au Québec.

This article examines the socio-demographic profile of general practitioners (GPs), their role in the management of (transient/moderate, severe/chronic) mental health disorders in different areas (urban, semi-urban, and rural) of Quebec as well as if their clinical practice and collaboration are oriented towards integration of mental health services. This crosswise study is based on 398 GPs representative of all Quebec GPs who answered a questionnaire. The study shows that GPs play a central role in mental health. According to territories, they have different socio-demographic and practice profiles. The types of territory and the degree of severity of mental health illnesses influence the propensity of GPs to integrate mental health care. Finally, GPs practiced mostly in silo, but they support greater integration of mental health services. The authors conclude that to improve mental health services integration, more proactive incentives should be favoured by political elites, adapted to the severity of the case and environments (urban, semi-urban or rural). However, the shortage of resources that is particularly striking in rural areas as well as inadequate mechanisms for clinical decision, reduce inter-relations and seriously limit the integration of healthcare.