Effectiveness of septoplasty compared to medical management in adults with obstruction associated with a deviated nasal septum: the NAIROS RCT.

Background: The indications for septoplasty are practice-based, rather than evidence-based. In addition, internationally accepted guidelines for the management of nasal obstruction associated with nasal septal deviation are lacking. Objective: The objective was to determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of septoplasty, with or without turbinate reduction, compared with medical management, in the management of nasal obstruction associated with a deviated nasal septum. Design: This was a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing septoplasty, with or without turbinate reduction, with defined medical management; it incorporated a mixed-methods process evaluation and an economic evaluation. Setting: The trial was set in 17 NHS secondary care hospitals in the UK. Participants: A total of 378 eligible participants aged > 18 years were recruited. Interventions: Participants were randomised on a 1: 1 basis and stratified by baseline severity and gender to either (1) septoplasty, with or without turbinate surgery (n = 188) or (2) medical management with intranasal steroid spray and saline spray (n = 190). Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was the Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 items score at 6 months (patient-reported outcome). The secondary outcomes were as follows: patient-reported outcomes - Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation score at 6 and 12 months, Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 items subscales at 12 months, Double Ordinal Airway Subjective Scale at 6 and 12 months, the Short Form questionnaire-36 items and costs; objective measurements - peak nasal inspiratory flow and rhinospirometry. The number of adverse events experienced was also recorded. A within-trial economic evaluation from an NHS and Personal Social Services perspective estimated the incremental cost per (1) improvement (of ≥ 9 points) in Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 items score, (2) adverse event avoided and (3) quality-adjusted life-year gained at 12 months. An economic model estimated the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained at 24 and 36 months. A mixed-methods process evaluation was undertaken to understand/address recruitment issues and examine the acceptability of trial processes and treatment arms. Results: At the 6-month time point, 307 participants provided primary outcome data (septoplasty, n = 152; medical management, n = 155). An intention-to-treat analysis revealed a greater and more sustained improvement in the primary outcome measure in the surgical arm. The 6-month mean Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 items scores were -20.0 points lower (better) for participants randomised to septoplasty than for those randomised to medical management [the score for the septoplasty arm was 19.9 and the score for the medical management arm was 39.5 (95% confidence interval -23.6 to -16.4; p < 0.0001)]. This was confirmed by sensitivity analyses and through the analysis of secondary outcomes. Outcomes were statistically significantly related to baseline severity, but not to gender or turbinate reduction. In the surgical and medical management arms, 132 and 95 adverse events occurred, respectively; 14 serious adverse events occurred in the surgical arm and nine in the medical management arm. On average, septoplasty was more costly and more effective in improving Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 items scores and quality-adjusted life-years than medical management, but incurred a larger number of adverse events. Septoplasty had a 15% probability of being considered cost-effective at 12 months at a £20,000 willingness-to-pay threshold for an additional quality-adjusted life-year. This probability increased to 99% and 100% at 24 and 36 months, respectively. Limitations: COVID-19 had an impact on participant-facing data collection from March 2020. Conclusions: Septoplasty, with or without turbinate reduction, is more effective than medical management with a nasal steroid and saline spray. Baseline severity predicts the degree of improvement in symptoms. Septoplasty has a low probability of cost-effectiveness at 12 months, but may be considered cost-effective at 24 months. Future work should focus on developing a septoplasty patient decision aid. Trial registration: This trial is registered as ISRCTN16168569 and EudraCT 2017-000893-12. Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 14/226/07) and is published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 28, No. 10. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Septoplasty is an operation to straighten the septum, which is the partition wall between the nostrils inside the nose. Septoplasty can be used as a treatment for people who have a bent septum and symptoms of a blocked nose, such as difficulty sleeping and exercising. Medical management (a saltwater spray to clear the nose followed by a nose steroid spray) is an alternative treatment to septoplasty. The Nasal AIRway Obstruction Study (NAIROS) aimed to find out whether septoplasty or medical management is a better treatment for people with a bent septum and symptoms of a blocked nose. We recruited 378 patients with at least moderately severe nose symptoms from 17 hospitals in England, Scotland and Wales to take part in the NAIROS. Participants were randomly put into one of two groups: septoplasty or medical management. Participants' nose symptoms were measured both when they joined the study and after 6 months, using a questionnaire called the Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 items. This questionnaire was chosen because patients reported that it included symptoms that were important to them. Other studies have shown that a 9-point change in the Sino-nasal Outcome Test-22 items score is significant. After 6 months, on average, people in the septoplasty group improved by 25 points, whereas people in the medical management group improved by 5 points. We saw improvement after septoplasty among patients with moderate symptoms, and among those with severe symptoms. Most patients who we spoke to after a septoplasty were happy with their treatment, but some would have liked more information about what to expect after their nose surgery. In the short term, septoplasty is more costly than medical management. However, over the longer term, taking into account all the costs and benefits of treatment, suggests that septoplasty would be considered good value for money for the NHS.

Assessing the impact of university students' involvement in the first year of Nurture-U: a national student wellbeing research project.

BACKGROUND: Students experience lower levels of wellbeing than the general, age-matched population. A whole-university approach to mental health is encouraged, which must work for individuals from all backgrounds and experiences. Student input is vital in researching and designing these solutions. Nurture-U is a national, large-scale research project exploring better ways to support student wellbeing, with a Student Advisory Group (SAG) that feeds into project decision making. With the first year of the project now completed, we now critically review the processes and effectiveness of the SAG and how well the project is engaging and working with students. METHODS: Assessment of the SAG's impact on the project, the student advisors, and the researchers was undertaken through a content analysis of team meetings and collection of advisor and researcher feedback using the Patient Engagement Quality Guidance Tool. RESULTS: 142 students worked on different tasks in the first year of the Nurture-U project. The SAG was involved in the project branding and marketing, and in the development and co-design of interventions and tools. They reported a positive experience, with involvement boosting confidence. They felt valued but reported not always knowing whether their input was implemented in final decisions. They also recommended different methods of providing feedback. Researchers found student input beneficial to communicate the viewpoint of a different generation and increase the relevance of the study, but also suggested improvements for communication between the research team and the student group. CONCLUSIONS: This critical reflection of the SAG's public advisor role in this large-scale research project was important in highlighting what worked well and areas to improve. As the project unfolds, we aim to adapt our methods of student input, increase the transparency of decision-making processes, and in turn increase student-led decision making within the project.

University students face many challenges to their wellbeing, including academic stress, frequent changes of location, distancing of support systems, and new social and cultural surroundings. The Nurture-U research project is looking at how universities can support student wellbeing. It is supported by a Student Advisory Group (SAG) that is helping us design the research. The aim of this paper is to reflect on the input of the SAG in the first year of the 4-year Nurture-U project. 142 students worked on different tasks in the first year of the Nurture-U project, including marketing and designing therapeutic apps. The SAG described feeling valued, gaining confidence and an understanding of mental health and research. Researchers felt the SAG improved Nurture-U, making it more relevant to students. However, all were concerned that final decisions were researcher-led, not student-led. There was also a lack of diversity, with most of the SAG being female. The SAG advised different ways for researchers and students to work together. This included having different ways for student advisors to voice their opinions, for example in smaller or face-to-face groups, or on online boards. Also, researchers could engage with the SAG differently, through newsletters or videos, to make it clearer how final decisions are made. This formal reflection activity has helped the Nurture-U team consider ways to improve working with the SAG for the rest of the project, which we hope will ensure that student voices guide how the project unfolds.

Clinical effectiveness of septoplasty versus medical management for nasal airways obstruction: multicentre, open label, randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical effectiveness of septoplasty. DESIGN: Multicentre, randomised controlled trial. SETTING: 17 otolaryngology clinics in the UK's National Health Service. PARTICIPANTS: 378 adults (≥18 years, 67% men) newly referred with symptoms of nasal obstruction associated with septal deviation and at least moderate symptoms of nasal obstruction (score >30 on the Nasal Obstruction and Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale). INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive either septoplasty (n=188) or defined medical management (n=190, nasal steroid and saline spray for six months), stratified by baseline symptom severity and sex. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was patient reported score on the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-22 (SNOT-22) at six months, with 9 points defined as the minimal clinically important difference. Secondary outcomes included quality of life and objective nasal airflow measures. RESULTS: Mean SNOT-22 scores at six months were 19.9 (95% confidence interval 17.0 to 22.7) in the septoplasty arm (n=152, intention-to-treat population) and 39.5 (36.1 to 42.9) in the medical management arm (n=155); an estimated 20.0 points lower (better) for participants randomised to receive septoplasty (95% confidence interval 16.4 to 23.6, P<0.001, adjusted for baseline continuous SNOT-22 score and the stratification variables sex and baseline NOSE severity categories). Greater improvement in SNOT-22 scores was predicted by higher baseline symptom severity scores. Quality of life outcomes and nasal airflow measures (including peak nasal inspiratory flow and absolute inhalational nasal partitioning ratio) improved more in participants in the septoplasty group. Readmission to hospital with bleeding after septoplasty occurred in seven participants (4% of 174 who had septoplasty), and a further 20 participants (12%) required antibiotics for infections. CONCLUSIONS: Septoplasty is a more effective intervention than a defined medical management regimen with a nasal steroid and saline spray in adults with nasal obstruction associated with a deviated nasal septum. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN16168569.

Negotiating 'the problem' in GP home visits to people with dementia.

People with dementia are often marginalised in health care due to the effects of the condition on short term memory and communication. The problem presentation is a key area of primary care consultations where patients 'have the floor', and hence are able to direct the trajectory of the consultation to achieve certain ends. An exploration of how patients with advanced dementia participate in this stage of the consultation can thus demonstrate their participation and subsequent engagement. We used conversation analysis to describe how healthcare professionals (HCPs), people with dementia, and their carers establish the presenting problem in 17 out-of-hours primary care home visit consultations. In all cases, the carer had called the out of hours service on behalf of the patient. Rather than traditional "what can I help you with?" problem solicits, HCPs instead stated their reason-for-visit using information provided by the carer. All the patients showed some misalignment with this presented reason-for-visit, by denying the existence of current symptoms and/or their involvement in the decision to call the doctor. Carers appeared to show respect for the patient's ownership of their experience, only providing input on invitation from doctors or patients. Patient acknowledgement and willingness to engage in examination were needed for progressivity, but agreement with the reason-for-visit was not. In two consultations, the reason-for-visit was not explained to patients, and in both cases this resulted in the person with dementia showing frustration and resistance to examination. People with dementia may resist doctor home visits for many reasons, such as embarrassment for not remembering symptoms, or stoicism in the face of medical ailments. These findings show how the balance of progressivity and intersubjectivity tips towards progressivity in consultations with people with dementia, but this is reversed when the patient is not engaged in the reason-for-visit.

Subjective experiences of the first response to mental health crises in the community: a qualitative systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To review and synthesise qualitative studies that have explored subjective experiences of people with lived experience of mental health-related illness/crisis (MHC), their families and first responders. DESIGN: A systematic review of qualitative evidence was conducted. English-language articles exploring the content of interactions and participants' experiences were included. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL; Google Scholar, SAGE journals, Science Direct and PubMed. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two reviewers read and systematically extracted data from the included papers. Papers were appraised for methodological rigour using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Checklist. Data were thematically analysed. RESULTS: We identified 3483 unique records, 404 full-texts were assessed against the inclusion criteria and 79 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. First responders (FRs) identified in studies were police and ambulance staff. Main factors influencing response are persistent stigmatised attitudes among FRs, arbitrary training and the triadic interactions between FRs, people with mental illness and third parties present at the crisis. In addition, FR personal experience of mental illness and focused training can help create a more empathetic response, however lack of resources in mental health services continues to be a barrier where 'frequent attenders' are repeatedly let down by mental health services. CONCLUSION: Lack of resources in mental healthcare and rise in mental illness suggest that FR response to MHC is inevitable. Inconsistent training, complexity of procedures and persistent stigmatisation make this a very challenging task. Improving communication with family carers and colleagues could make a difference. Broader issues of legitimacy and procedural barriers should be considered in order to reduce criminalisation and ensure an empathetic response.

Everyday experiences of post-diagnosis life with dementia: A co-produced photography study.

There has been surprisingly little research capturing people's everyday lives in the early years following a diagnosis of dementia. This project was co-produced by three people with dementia and two university researchers. The co-researchers with dementia formulated the aims of this project as: (1) to explore post-diagnosis life with dementia and (2) to use data collection methods as a form of peer support and confidence building for the participants. The intent was to provide the opportunity to learn new skills and support participants to share their experiences without putting them on the spot. Five participants with recent diagnoses received a photography lesson and cameras to take photographs of their everyday lives. This was followed with a focus group in which the photographs were discussed. The participants used their photographs to explain: (1) the differences between their past and present with dementia, (2) how dementia affected their thought processes, (3) pets and grandchildren as facilitators of reciprocal joy and support, (4) the emotional effects of living with a dementia diagnosis, and (5) the solace and stability of nature in a changing world. The participants' creative use of photography supported them to express the complex emotions felt after a diagnosis of dementia and they reported the benefit of doing this in an environment with peers going through the same experiences. The role of the co-researchers with dementia was the key to the success of this project, drawing on their own experiences to design the project and support the participants. Future research should draw on the experiences of people with dementia to design research projects and care interventions.

Urgent care for patients with dementia: a scoping review of associated factors and stakeholder experiences.

OBJECTIVES: People with dementia are more vulnerable to complications in urgent health situations due to older age, increased comorbidity, higher dependency on others and cognitive impairment. This review explored the factors associated with urgent care use in dementia and the experiences of people with dementia, informal carers and professionals. DESIGN: Scoping review. The search strategy and data synthesis were informed by people with dementia and carers. DATA SOURCES: Searches of CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed were conducted alongside handsearches of relevant journals and the grey literature through 15 January 2019. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Empirical studies including all research designs, and other published literature exploring factors associated with urgent care use in prehospital and emergency room settings for people with dementia were included. Two authors independently screened studies for inclusion. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Data were extracted using charting techniques and findings were synthesised according to content and themes. RESULTS: Of 2967 records identified, 54 studies were included in the review. Specific factors that influenced use of urgent care included: (1) common age-related conditions occurring alongside dementia, (2) dementia as a diagnosis increasing or decreasing urgent care use, (3) informal and professional carers, (4) patient characteristics such as older age or behavioural symptoms and (5) the presence or absence of community support services. Included studies reported three crucial components of urgent care situations: (1) knowledge of the patient and dementia as a condition, (2) inadequate non-emergency health and social care support and (3) informal carer education and stress. CONCLUSIONS: The scoping review highlighted a wider variety of sometimes competing factors that were associated with urgent care situations. Improved and increased community support for non-urgent situations, such as integrated care, caregiver education and dementia specialists, will both mitigate avoidable urgent care use and improve the experience of those in crisis.

Communication and understanding of mild cognitive impairment diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: Communication of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnoses is challenging due to its heterogeneity and unclear prognosis. AIM: To identify how MCI is communicated and to explore the relationship with patient and companion understanding. METHOD: Conversation analysis identified whether MCI was named and explained in 43 video recorded diagnosis feedback meetings. Afterward, patients and companions were asked to name the diagnosis to assess understanding. RESULTS: Mild cognitive impairment was not named in 21% meetings. Symptoms were explained as (a) a result of vascular conditions (49%), (b) a stage between normal ageing and dementia (30%), or (c) caused by psychological factors (21%). Fifty-four percentage of prognosis discussions included mention of dementia. There was no association between symptom explanations and whether prognosis discussions included dementia. Fifty-seven percentage patients and 37% companions reported not having or not knowing their diagnosis after the meeting. They were more likely to report MCI when prognosis discussions included dementia. CONCLUSIONS: Doctors offer three different explanations of MCI to patients. The increased risk of dementia was not discussed in half the diagnostic feedback meetings. This is likely to reflect the heterogeneity in the definition, cause and likely prognosis of MCI presentations. Clearer and more consistent communication, particularly about the increased risk of dementia, may increase patient understanding and enable lifestyle changes to prevent some people progressing to dementia.

Patient and companion shared decision making and satisfaction with decisions about starting cholinesterase medication at dementia diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: there is little research on how people with dementia are involved in treatment decisions at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE: to measure shared decision making when starting cholinesterase inhibitors, investigate associations with contextual factors and explore satisfaction and experience of the diagnostic meeting. SETTING: nine UK memory clinics in two geographical locations. SUBJECTS: 74 people receiving dementia diagnoses (with 69 companions) and 21 doctors. METHODS: we video-recorded 74 memory clinic consultations and rated doctor-shared decision making behaviours using the Observing Patient Involvement in Decision Making scale (OPTION-5 scale). Patients and companions rated their satisfaction and experience. Mixed-effects regressions investigated involvement and (i) number people present, meeting length, capacity, cognitive functioning, diagnosis; and (ii) patient/companion satisfaction and consultation experience. RESULTS: mean consultation time was 26.7 min. Mean OPTION-5 score was 22.5/100 (Standard Deviation = 17.3). Doctors involved patients in decisions more often when patients had mixed dementia (ß = 10.13, 95% confidence interval 1.25-19.0, P = 0.025) and in shorter meetings (ß = -0.51, 95% CI -0.87 to -0.15, P = 0.006). Patient and companion satisfaction were high and not associated with whether doctors invited patient involvement. Half of patients and one-third companions were uncertain about the meeting outcome, experienced communication barriers and negative emotions. CONCLUSIONS: consultations scored low on shared decision making, but were comparable to other settings and were not lower with more cognitively impaired patients. Negative patient and companion experiences reflect the importance of supporting healthcare providers to address patient and companion emotions and need for information.

Involving patients with dementia in decisions to initiate treatment: effect on patient acceptance, satisfaction and medication prescription.

BACKGROUND: Shared decision-making is advocated but may be affected by cognitive impairment. Measures of shared decision-making provide global descriptions of communication without detailed analysis of the subtle ways in which doctors invite patient input.AimsWe aimed to explore medication decisions in dementia, using a standardised Treatment Recommendation Coding Scheme. METHOD: We analysed 71 video-recorded dementia diagnostic meetings from nine memory clinics. Recommendations were coded as pronouncements ('I will start you on medication'), proposals ('Shall we try medication?'), suggestions ('Would you like to try medication?'), offers ('I can prescribe medication') or assertions ('There is medication'). Patient responses were coded as acceptance ('I'd like to have that'), active resistance ('I'm not very keen') and passive resistance (minimal or no response). Cognitive test scores, prescription rates and satisfaction were assessed and associations were explored. RESULTS: Doctors used suggestions in 42% of meetings, proposals in 25%, assertions in 13%, pronouncements in 11% and offers in 9%. Over 80% of patients did not indicate clear acceptance. Patients were most likely to actively resist after suggestions. There was no association between cognitive impairment and recommendation format. Patients were less satisfied with pronouncements. Patient preference did not influence whether medication was prescribed. CONCLUSIONS: Doctors initially nominate people with dementia as the decision maker, and this is unaffected by cognitive impairment. Over 80% of patients resisted starting medication, mostly through passive resistance, the most common form of disagreement in communication. Medication still tended to be prescribed, indicating that factors other than patient preference affect prescription.Declarations of interestNone.

How do doctors deliver a diagnosis of dementia in memory clinics?

BACKGROUND: Dementia diagnosis rates are increasing. Guidelines recommend that people with dementia should be told their diagnosis clearly and honestly to facilitate future planning. Aims To analyse how doctors deliver a dementia diagnosis in practice. METHOD: Conversation analysis was conducted on 81 video-recorded diagnosis feedback meetings with 20 doctors from nine UK memory clinics. RESULTS: All doctors named dementia; 59% (n = 48) approached the diagnosis indirectly but delicately ('this is dementia') and 41% (n = 33) approached this directly but bluntly ('you have Alzheimer's disease'). Direct approaches were used more often with people with lower cognitive test scores. Doctors emphasised that the dementia was mild and tended to downplay its progression, with some avoiding discussing prognosis altogether. CONCLUSIONS: Doctors are naming dementia to patients. Direct approaches reflect attempts to ensure clear diagnosis. Downplaying and avoiding prognosis demonstrates concerns about preserving hope but may compromise understanding about and planning for the future. Declaration of interest None.

Training to enhance psychiatrist communication with patients with psychosis (TEMPO): cluster randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: A better therapeutic relationship predicts better outcomes. However, there is no trial-based evidence on how to improve therapeutic relationships in psychosis. AIMS: To test the effectiveness of communication training for psychiatrists on improving shared understanding and the therapeutic relationship (trial registration: ISRCTN94846422). METHOD: In a cluster randomised controlled trial in the UK, 21 psychiatrists were randomised. Ninety-seven (51% of those approached) out-patients with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder were recruited, and 64 (66% of the sample recruited at baseline) were followed up after 5 months. The intervention group received four group and one individualised session. The primary outcome, rated blind, was psychiatrist effort in establishing shared understanding (self-repair). Secondary outcome was the therapeutic relationship. RESULTS: Psychiatrists receiving the intervention used 44% more self-repair than the control group (adjusted difference in means 6.4, 95% CI 1.46-11.33, P<0.011, a large effect) adjusting for baseline self-repair. Psychiatrists rated the therapeutic relationship more positively (adjusted difference in means 0.20, 95% CI 0.03-0.37, P = 0.022, a medium effect), as did patients (adjusted difference in means 0.21, 95% CI 0.01-0.41, P = 0.043, a medium effect). CONCLUSIONS: Shared understanding can be successfully targeted in training and improves relationships in treating psychosis.

Communication in healthcare interactions in dementia: a systematic review of observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Communication is affected by dementia, even in the early stages. Studies directly observing how patients, companions and healthcare professionals communicate have not yet been reviewed. METHODS: Eight databases were searched, and hand searches of relevant journals and grey literature were performed up to August 2014. Two authors reviewed abstracts independently and collectively reviewed for agreement of inclusion. Findings were narratively synthesized. RESULTS: 23 studies were identified observing: diagnostic, follow up, day center, primary care and research consent interactions. Companions were present in 14 studies. Three themes emerged: emotional impact of diagnosis, level of patient involvement and participant strategies to save face and cope with cognitive impairment. Eight studies observed diagnostic disclosure describing emotional reactions, with professionals using mitigating language and rarely checking patient understanding. Studies reported varying patient involvement, showing marginalization in primary care but not in assessments or diagnostic feedback. Patients used humor and metaphor to compensate for difficulties retrieving information and responding appropriately, suggesting preserved awareness of the pragmatics of interaction. Companion roles fluctuated between patient advocate and professional informant. Professionals encountered challenges adapting to heterogeneous patient groups with varying capabilities and needs. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-companion-professional communication in dementia care raises various ethical questions: how to strike a balance between different communicative needs of patients and companions; clarity versus sensitivity in delivery of the diagnosis; and whether to minimize or expose interactional difficulties and misunderstanding to enrich patient understanding and involvement. Healthcare professionals need guidance in delivering a diagnosis and strategies to optimize patient and companion participation.

How do psychiatrists address delusions in first meetings in acute care? A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Communicating about delusions can be challenging, particularly when a therapeutic relationship needs to be established in acute care. So far, no systematic research has explored how psychiatrists address patients' delusional beliefs in first meetings in acute care. The aim of this study was to describe how psychiatrists address patients' delusional experiences in acute in-patient care. METHODS: First meetings between five psychiatrists and 14 patients in acute care were audio-recorded and analysed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: 296 psychiatrist statements about delusions were identified and coded. Three commonly used approaches (with a total of 6 subthemes) were identified. The most common approaches were eliciting the content (1 subtheme: eliciting content and evidence) and understanding the impact (3 subthemes: identifying emotions, exploring links with dysfunctional behaviour and discussing reasons for hospital admission) while questioning the validity of the beliefs (2 subthemes: challenging content and exploring alternative explanations) was less common. The last approach sometimes put patients in a defensive position. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatrists commonly use three approaches to address patients' delusions in the first meeting in acute in-patient care. Questioning the patients' beliefs can lead to disagreement which might hinder establishing a positive therapeutic relationship. Future research should explore the impact of such an approach on outcomes and specify to what extent questioning the validity of delusional beliefs is appropriate in the first meeting.