Premature termination, satisfaction with care, and shared decision-making during home treatment compared to inpatient treatment: A quasi-experimental trial.

BACKGROUND: Inpatient equivalent home treatment (IEHT), implemented in Germany since 2018, is a specific form of home treatment. Between 2021 and 2022, IEHT was compared to inpatient psychiatric treatment in a 12-months follow-up quasi-experimental study with two propensity score matched cohorts in 10 psychiatric centers in Germany. This article reports results on the treatment during the acute episode and focuses on involvement in decision-making, patient satisfaction, and drop-out rates. METHODS: A total of 200 service users receiving IEHT were compared with 200 matched statistical "twins" in standard inpatient treatment. Premature termination of treatment as well as reasons for this was assessed using routine data and a questionnaire. In addition, we measured patient satisfaction with care with a specific scale. For the evaluation of patient involvement in treatment decisions, we used the 9-item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9). RESULTS: Patients were comparable in both groups with regard to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Mean length-of-stay was 37 days for IEHT and 28 days for inpatient treatment. In both groups, a similar proportion of participants stopped treatment prematurely. At the end of the acute episode, patient involvement in decision-making (SDM-Q-9) as well as treatment satisfaction scores were significantly higher for IEHT patients compared to inpatients. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to inpatient care, IEHT treatment for acute psychiatric episodes was associated with higher treatment satisfaction and more involvement in clinical decisions.

Sobrecarga experimentada y satisfacción en familiares y pacientes durante una hospitalización domiciliaria en psiquiatría / Burden and satisfaction experienced in relatives and patients during home hospitalisation in psychiatry

Introducción: El rol de los cuidadores es esencial durantela hospitalización domiciliaria ya que ejercen de coterapeutas,siendo el nivel de responsabilidad que experimentan mayora la habitual. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar lasobrecarga experimentada en los cuidadores principalesy también determinar el nivel de satisfacción percibida enlos cuidadores principales y en los pacientes atendidos ennuestra unidad de hospitalización domiciliaria (HADMar).Metodología. Estudio prospectivo observacional. Se hanincluido todos los pacientes que han ingresado en HADMarentre mayo de 2020 y abril de 2021. Se han recogido datossocio-demográficos y clínicos de la muestra. Para evaluar elgrado de sobrecarga se ha utilizado la escala de Zarit al finaldel ingreso en los cuidadores principales. Para determinar lasatisfacción percibida se ha administrado la escala CRES-4 alfinal del ingreso tanto a los cuidadores como a los pacientesatendidos.Resultados. 182 pacientes han sido atendidos. Del total,144 cuidadores principales han respondido la escala de Zarit,siendo la puntuación media de 49,59 (correspondiente asobrecarga ligera). 152 cuidadores han respondido la escalaCRES-4, obteniendo una puntuación media de 241,75 (sobreun máximo posible de 300). 158 pacientes han respondido laescala CRES-4 y la puntuación media ha sido 242,57. (AU)

Introduction: The role of caregivers is essential duringhome hospitalization since they act as co-therapists, beingthe level of responsibility experienced by them higher thanusual. The objective of this study is to evaluate the burdenexperienced in the main caregivers and also to determine thelevel of satisfaction perceived in the main caregivers and in thepatients attended in our home hospitalization unit (HADMar).Methodology. Prospective observational study. Allpatients admitted to HADMar between May 2020 and April2021 have been included. Socio-demographic and clinicaldata have been collected from the sample. To assess thedegree of burden, the Zarit scale was used at the end ofadmission in the main caregivers. To determine the perceivedsatisfaction, the CRES-4 scale was administered at the end ofadmission to both the caregivers and the patients attended.Results. 182 patients have been attended. Of them, 144main caregivers answered the Zarit scale, being the meanscore 49.59 (corresponding to mild burden). 152 caregivers answered the CRES-4 scale, obtaining a mean score of241.75 (out of a possible maximum of 300). 158 patientsanswered the CRES-4 scale and the mean score was 242.57. (AU)

A scoping review of studies into crisis resolution teams in community mental health services.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF ARTICLE: Crisis Resolution Teams (CRT) for rapid assessment and short-term treatment of mental health problems have increasingly been implemented internationally over the last decades. Among the Nordic countries, the CRT model has been particularly influential in Norway, where 'Ambulante akutteam (AAT)' is a widespread psychiatric emergency service for adult patients. However, the clinical practice of these teams varies significantly. To aid further development of the service and guide future research efforts, we carried out a scoping review to provide an up-to-date overview of research available in primary studies focusing on phenomena related to CRTs in English and Scandinavian literature. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in the bibliometric databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, and SveMed+. Included studies were thematically analyzed using a qualitative method. RESULTS: The search identified 1516 unique references, of which 129 were included in the overview. Thematic analysis showed that the studies could be assigned to: (1) Characteristics of CRTs (k = 45), which described key principles or specific interventions; (2) Implementation of CRTs (k = 54), which were descriptive about implementation in different teams, or normative about what clinical practice should include; and (3) Effect of CRTs (k = 38). CONCLUSIONS: The international research literature on CRTs or equivalent teams is extensive. Many sub-themes have been studied with various research methodologies. Recent studies provide a better evidence base for how to organize services and to select therapeutic interventions, but there is still a need for more controlled studies in the field.

'No service is an island': experiences of collaboration with crisis resolution teams in Norway.

Crisis resolution teams (CRTs) are a community-based service targeting adults experiencing acute mental health crises. The rationale for the development of CRTs is both value and efficacy based, suggesting that CRTs should contribute to the humanizing of mental health services and replace some acute hospital-based services with services in the community. Despite the collaborative nature of CRT work, how professionals from health and social services experience collaboration with CRTs is scantly explored. In the current study, semi-structured focus group interviews with eight different groups of 44 clinicians collaborating with CRTs in Norway were conducted. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis and categorized into four themes: (1) 'The accessible experts', (2) 'A broad and deep expertise', (3) 'Doing it together' and (4) 'Toward a new culture?'. The themes elaborate on issues related to the content and organization of CRT services, emphasizing the need for CRTs to be able to contribute their professional expertise in accessible, flexible and collaborative ways. A diversity in the knowledge base and in how services are organized may pose a challenge in interprofessional mental health crisis collaboration and mutual expectations. The study suggests that a shift toward a value-based and coherent mental health and social system could be a purposeful direction.

Twitter Users' Views on Mental Health Crisis Resolution Team Care Compared With Stakeholder Interviews and Focus Groups: Qualitative Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Analyzing Twitter posts enables rapid access to how issues and experiences are socially shared and constructed among communities of health service users and providers, in ways that traditional qualitative methods may not. OBJECTIVE: To enrich the understanding of mental health crisis care in the United Kingdom, this study explores views on crisis resolution teams (CRTs) expressed on Twitter. We aim to identify the similarities and differences among views expressed on Twitter compared with interviews and focus groups. METHODS: We used Twitter's advanced search function to retrieve public tweets on CRTs. A thematic analysis was conducted on 500 randomly selected tweets. The principles of refutational synthesis were applied to compare themes with those identified in a multicenter qualitative interview study. RESULTS: The most popular hashtag identified was #CrisisTeamFail, where posts were principally related to poor quality of care and access, particularly for people given a personality disorder diagnosis. Posts about CRTs giving unhelpful self-management advice were common, as were tweets about resource strains on mental health services. This was not identified in the research interviews. Although each source yielded unique themes, there were some overlaps with themes identified via interviews and focus groups, including the importance of rapid access to care. Views expressed on Twitter were generally more critical than those obtained via face-to-face methods. CONCLUSIONS: Traditional qualitative studies may underrepresent the views of more critical stakeholders by collecting data from participants accessed via mental health services. Research on social media content can complement traditional or face-to-face methods and ensure that a broad spectrum of viewpoints can inform service development and policy.

Developing a model of best practice for teams managing crisis in people with dementia: a consensus approach.

BACKGROUND: Teams delivering crisis resolution services for people with dementia and their carers provide short-term interventions to prevent admission to acute care settings. There is great variation in these services across the UK. This article reports on a consensus process undertaken to devise a Best Practice Model and evaluation Tool for use with teams managing crisis in dementia. METHODS: The Best Practice Model and Tool were developed over a three stage process: (i) Evidence gathering and generation of candidate standards (systematic review and scoping survey, interviews and focus groups); (ii) Prioritisation and selection of standards (consultation groups, a consensus conference and modified Delphi process); (iii) Refining and operationalising standards (consultation group and field-testing). RESULTS: One hundred sixty-five candidate standards arose from the evidence gathering stage; were refined and reduced to 90 through a consultation group exercise; and then reduced to 50 during the consensus conference and weighted using a modified Delphi process. Standards were then operationalised through a clinical consultation group and field-tested with 11 crisis teams and 5 non-crisis teams. Scores ranged from 48 to 92/100. The median score for the crisis teams was 74.5 (range 67-92), and the median score for non-crisis teams was 60 (range 48-72). CONCLUSIONS: With further psychometric testing, this Best Practice Model and Tool will be ideal for the planning, improvement and national benchmarking of teams managing dementia crises in the future.

Crisis resolution and home treatment in the UK: A survey of model fidelity using a novel review methodology.

Crisis resolution teams (CRTs) provide treatment at home to people experiencing mental health crises, as an alternative to hospital admission. Previous UK research, based on self-report surveys, suggests that a loosely specified model has resulted in wide variations in CRTs' service delivery, organization and outcomes. A fidelity scale (developed through evidence review and stakeholder consensus) provided a means of objectively measuring adherence to a model of good practice for CRTs, via one-day fidelity reviews of UK crisis teams. Reviews included interviews with service users, carers, staff and managers, and examination of data, policies, protocols and anonymized case notes. Of the 75 teams reviewed, 49 (65%) were assessed as being moderate fidelity and the rest as low fidelity, with no team achieving high fidelity. The median score was 122 (range: 73-151; inter-quartile range: 111-132). Teams achieved higher scores on items about structure and organization, for example ease of referral, medication and safety systems, but scored poorly on items about the content of care and interventions. Despite a national mandate to implement the CRT model, there are wide variations in implementation in the UK and no teams in our sample achieved overall high fidelity. This suggests that a mandatory national policy is not in itself sufficient to achieve good quality implementation of a service model. The CRT Fidelity Scale provides a feasible and acceptable means to objectively assess model fidelity in CRTs. There is a need for development and testing of interventions to enhance model fidelity and facilitate improvements to these services.

Development of a measure of model fidelity for mental health Crisis Resolution Teams.

BACKGROUND: Crisis Resolution Teams (CRTs) provide short-term intensive home treatment to people experiencing mental health crisis. Trial evidence suggests CRTs can be effective at reducing hospital admissions and increasing satisfaction with acute care. When scaled up to national level however, CRT implementation and outcomes have been variable. We aimed to develop and test a fidelity scale to assess adherence to a model of best practice for CRTs, based on best available evidence. METHODS: A concept mapping process was used to develop a CRT fidelity scale. Participants (n = 68) from a range of stakeholder groups prioritised and grouped statements (n = 72) about important components of the CRT model, generated from a literature review, national survey and qualitative interviews. These data were analysed using Ariadne software and the resultant cluster solution informed item selection for a CRT fidelity scale. Operational criteria and scoring anchor points were developed for each item. The CORE CRT fidelity scale was then piloted in 75 CRTs in the UK to assess the range of scores achieved and feasibility for use in a 1-day fidelity review process. Trained reviewers (n = 16) rated CRT service fidelity in a vignette exercise to test the scale's inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: There were high levels of agreement within and between stakeholder groups regarding the most important components of the CRT model. A 39-item measure of CRT model fidelity was developed. Piloting indicated that the scale was feasible for use to assess CRT model fidelity and had good face validity. The wide range of item scores and total scores across CRT services in the pilot demonstrate the measure can distinguish lower and higher fidelity services. Moderately good inter-rater reliability was found, with an estimated correlation between individual ratings of 0.65 (95% CI: 0.54 to 0.76). CONCLUSIONS: The CORE CRT Fidelity Scale has been developed through a rigorous and systematic process. Promising initial testing indicates its value in assessing adherence to a model of CRT best practice and to support service improvement monitoring and planning. Further research is required to establish its psychometric properties and international applicability.

Profile and activities of a rural home-based psychiatric treatment service in Ireland.

OBJECTIVES: This study described the profile, activities and patient-related outcomes of a long-established home-based treatment (HBT) service in Ireland. METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study design was adopted to review and describe the activities of the Cavan HBT team over a 5-year period. Data including demographics, referral details, duration of admissions and outcome/disposal were retrospectively collected from the home treatment team mental health register of admissions between 2006 and 2010. Data were analysed using SPSS version 15 for windows. RESULTS: A total of 783 patients were referred to the team over the study period, of which 722 were admitted for home treatment. Most referrals (51%) were from General Practitioners and the commonest reason for referral/admission for home treatment was low mood (26%). While 10% required stepped-up care to the psychiatric inpatient unit, 77% were successfully discharged to the out-patient clinic for routine follow-up care. CONCLUSIONS: Common psychiatric illnesses can be safely and effectively managed with HBT within the context of a spectrum of therapeutic options in a community psychiatric service.