Users' involvement in mental health services: programme logic model of an innovative initiative in integrated care

Strategic Implementation Planning for Integrated Behavioral Health Services in Pediatric Primary Care

Background

Delivering physical and behavioral health services in a single setting is associated with improved quality of care and reduced health care costs. Few health systems implementing integrated care develop conceptual models and targeted measurement strategies a priori with an eye toward adoption, implementation, sustainment, and evaluation. This is a broad challenge in the field, which can make it difficult to disentangle why implementation is or is not successful.

Method

This paper discusses strategic implementation and evaluation planning for a pediatric integrated care program in a large health system. Our team developed a logic model, which defines resources and community characteristics, program components, evaluation activities, short-term activities, and intermediate and anticipated long-term patient-, clinician-, and practice-related outcomes. The model was designed based on research and stakeholder input to support strategic implementation and evaluation of the program. For each aspect of the logic model, a measurement battery was selected. Initial implementation data and intermediate outcomes from a pilot in five practices in a 30-practice pediatric primary care network are presented to illustrate how the logic model and evaluation plan have been used to guide the iterative process of program development.

Results

A total of 4,619 office visits were completed during the two years of the pilot. Primary care clinicians were highly satisfied with the integrated primary care program and provided feedback on ways to further improve the program. Members of the primary care team and behavioral health providers rated the program as being relatively well integrated into the practices after the second year of the pilot.

Conclusions

This logic model and evaluation plan provide a template for future projects integrating behavioral health services in non-specialty mental health settings, including pediatric primary care, and can be used broadly to provide structure to implementation and evaluation activities and promote replication of effective initiatives.

Communities, health-care organizations and the contingencies and contradictions of engagement: A case study from Chile

Context

Despite a growing interest in service‐user involvement in mental health services, the interaction between health institutions and local groups is only beginning to receive attention, particularly in global south settings.

Objective

Looking at a participatory initiative in Chile, this study explores how, under unfavourable administrative conditions, health organizations approach and work with communities.

Methods

We interviewed policy‐makers (5), local professionals (10), service users and community representatives (6) linked to a concrete participatory initiative. Participant observation in relevant meetings helped to enrich the interpretations. Thematic analysis was applied to interview transcripts and field notes.

Findings

The findings present a sequence of actions starting with the creation of a network of community‐based groups. A set of problems ensued, related to the group's diversity, internal representation, decision‐making and funding processes. In response, processionals implemented simultaneously bureaucratic and democratic adjustments, developing a vision of community that ignored the particularities—including the motivations—of local groups.

Discussion and conclusion

Based on these findings, we argue that participatory initiatives should be studied as on‐going achievements shaped by broad policy orientations and local configurations of interest. In the process, they produce ad hoc forms of knowledge and visions of community that provide orientation to the agents involved.

The experience of mental health service users in health system strengthening: lessons from Uganda

BACKGROUND

Mental, neurological and substance use disorders are a public health burden in Uganda. Mental health service user involvement could be an important strategy for advocacy and improving service delivery, particularly as Uganda redoubles its efforts to integrate mental health into primary health care (PHC). However, little is known on the most effective way to involve service users in mental health system strengthening.

METHODS

This was a qualitative key informant interview study. At national level, 4 interviews were conducted with national level health workers and 3 service user organization representatives. At the district level, 2 interviews were conducted with district level health workers and 5 service user organization representatives. Data were analyzed using content thematic analysis.

FINDINGS

Overall, there was low mental service user participation in health system strengthening at both national and district levels. Health system strengthening activities included policy development, implementation of programs and research. Informants mentioned several barriers to service user involvement in mental health system strengthening. These were grouped into three categories: institutional, community and individual level factors. Institutional level barriers included: limited funding to form, train and develop mental health service user groups, institutional stigma and patronage by founder members of user organizations. Community level barriers included: abject poverty and community stigma. Individual level barriers included: low levels of awareness and presence of self-stigma. Informants also recommended some strategies to enhance service user involvement.

CONCLUSION

The Uganda Ministry of Health should develop a strategy to improve service user participation in mental health system strengthening. This requires an appreciation of the importance of service users in improving service delivery. To address the barriers to service user involvement identified in this study requires concerted efforts by the Uganda Ministry of Health and the district health services, specifically with regard to attitudes of health workers, dealing with stigma at all levels, raising awareness about the rights of service users to participate in health systems strengthening activities, building capacity and financial empowerment of service user organizations.