Preconsult interactive computer-assisted client assessment survey for common mental disorders in a community health centre: a randomized controlled trial

Access to Virtual Mental Healthcare and Support for Refugee and Immigrant Groups: A Scoping Review

Immigrant and refugee populations face multiple barriers to accessing mental health services. This scoping review applies the (Levesque et al. in Int J Equity Health 12:18, 2013) Patient-Centred Access to Healthcare model in exploring the potential of increased access through virtual mental healthcare services VMHS for these populations by examining the affordability, availability/accommodation, and appropriateness and acceptability of virtual mental health interventions and assessments. A search in CINAHL, MEDLINE, PSYCINFO, EMBASE, SOCINDEX and SCOPUS following (Arksey and O'Malley in Int J Soc Res Methodol 8:19-32, 2005) guidelines found 44 papers and 41 unique interventions/assessment tools. Accessibility depended on individual (e.g., literacy), program (e.g., computer required) and contextual/social factors (e.g., housing characteristics, internet bandwidth). Participation often required financial and technical support, raising important questions about the generalizability and sustainability of VMHS' accessibility for immigrant and refugee populations. Given limitations in current research (i.e., frequent exclusion of patients with severe mental health issues; limited examination of cultural dimensions; de facto exclusion of those without access to technology), further research appears warranted.

Interactive mental health assessments for Chinese Canadians: A pilot randomized controlled trial in nurse practitioner-led primary care clinic

INTRODUCTION

Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety are on the rise, but access to care remains a challenge. Immigrants and racialized communities including Chinese Canadians experience high level of access barriers including communication with clinicians. With the aim to facilitate mental health communications, we tested an Interactive Computer-assisted Client Assessment Survey (iCCAS) in Cantonese/Mandarin and English at a nurse practitioner-led primary care clinic in Toronto. The iCCAS offers a touch-screen, pre-consultation survey with questions on depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, alcohol abuse, and social context. The program generates point-of-care reports for the clinician and patient.

METHODS

A pilot randomized controlled trial examined the intervention impact on mental health discussion and symptom detection, compared with the usual care, followed by clinicians' qualitative interviews.

RESULTS

Fifty self-identified Chinese adult patients participated (iCCAS = 26, Usual Care = 24), response rate 79.4%. Participant mean age was 44.8 years and 92% were immigrants. There was an increase of 19% and 15% in the mental health discussion and detection of symptoms in the iCCAS group compared with the usual care. More participants in the iCCAS group were referred to a social worker or psychiatrist. Patients found the use of iCCAS easy and clinicians identified its benefits for themselves (eg, early identification and comfort) and patients (eg, self-awareness and anonymity) and proposed practice-integration.

DISCUSSION

The studied tool holds promise for enhancing clinician-patient mental health communications in primary care settings for overseas Chinese. Implications are discussed for in-person and virtual healthcare which could also inform responses to mental health crisis related to COVID-19.

Global Mental Health and Services for Migrants in Primary Care Settings in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

Migrants are at a higher risk for common mental health problems than the general population but are less likely to seek care. To improve access, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the integration of mental health services into primary care. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the types and characteristics of mental health services provided to migrants in primary care following resettlement in high-income countries. We systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, Global Health, and other databases from 1 January 2000 to 15 April 2020. The inclusion criteria consisted of all studies published in English, reporting mental health services and practices for refugee, asylum seeker, or undocumented migrant populations, and were conducted in primary care following resettlement in high-income countries. The search identified 1627 citations and we included 19 studies. The majority of the included studies were conducted in North America. Two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessed technology-assisted mental health screening, and one assessed integrating intensive psychotherapy and case management in primary care. There was a paucity of studies considering gender, children, seniors, and in European settings. More equity-focused research is required to improve primary mental health care in the context of global mental health.

The Impact of Previsit Contextual Data Collection on Patient-Provider Communication and Patient Activation: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Patient-centered care is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values. To provide patient-centered care, clinicians need to know and incorporate patients' context into their communication and care with patients. Patient contextual data (PCD) encompass social determinants of health and patients' needs, values, goals, and preferences relevant to their care. PCD can be challenging to collect as a routine component of the time-limited primary care visit.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to determine if patient-provider communication and patient activation are different for patient users and patient nonusers of an electronic health record (EHR)-integrated PCD tool and assess if the impact of using PCD on patient-provider communication and patient activation differs for Black and White patients.

METHODS

We describe a randomized controlled trial of a prospective cohort of non-Hispanic White and Black patients who receive primary care services at a midwestern academic health care system in the United States. We will evaluate whether providing PCD through a consumer informatics tool enhances patient-provider communication, as measured by the Communication Assessment Tool, and we will evaluate patient activation, as measured by the Patient Activation Measure for PCD tool users and nonusers. Furthermore, owing to racial disparities in care and communication, we seek to determine if the adoption and use of the tool might narrow the differences between patient groups.

RESULTS

The trial was funded in November 2017 and received local ethics review approval in February 2019. The study began recruitment in April 2019 and enrollment concluded in October 2019 with 301 participants. The analysis was completed in May 2020, and trial results are expected to be published in winter 2020.

CONCLUSIONS

Recently, there has been increased attention to the role of health information technology tools to enable patients to collaborate with providers through the sharing of PCD. The adoption of such tools may overcome the barriers of current EHRs by directly engaging patients to submit their contextual data. Effectively, these tools would support the EHR in providing a more holistic understanding of the patient. Research further supports that individuals who have robust digital engagement using consumer informatics tools have higher participation in treatment follow-up and self-care across populations. Therefore, it is critical to investigate interventions that elicit and share patients' social risks and care preferences with the health care team as a mechanism to improve individualized care and reduce the gap in health outcomes.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03766841; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03766841.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/20309.

Symptoms and Experience of Depression Among Chinese Communities in the West: A Scoping Review

Despite the increasing presence of Chinese communities in the West, their experiences of depression and the variations in symptoms or presentation are not well understood. Using Arksey and O'Malley's methodical framework, we conducted a scoping review of the published literature, using electronic databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO, and searched for articles published since 1999. Out of 1177 articles identified, 21 met the inclusion criteria. Thematic synthesis revealed valuable scholarly work on (1) depression rates, migration, and contextual determinants, (2) causation beliefs and help seeking, (3) acculturation and symptoms, (4) presenting symptoms and somatization, and (5) culturally sensitive assessment and care. Overall, this review has identified the importance of contextual determinants in the development of depression, low rates of seeking of professional help, subtle variations in somatization, and knowledge gaps in culturally sensitive care. The findings suggest that, rather than treating migration as a cause of mental distress, the accompanying conditions and events need to be further examined and addressed as potential risk or protective factors. Subtle variations in somatization are also evident, and future scholarly work should examine the notion of cultural scripts-namely, that people attend and react to particular experiences in culturally based ways. For this reason (among others), practice models need to develop strategies for culturally sensitive care, such as co-construction of illness narratives and finding common ground. Given the stigma of mental illness and the low level of seeking professional help, the role of primary care should be expanded. Further studies investigating mental health issues beyond depression are also warranted in the studied community.

A Face-Aging App for Smoking Cessation in a Waiting Room Setting: Pilot Study in an HIV Outpatient Clinic

BACKGROUND

There is strong evidence for the effectiveness of addressing tobacco use in health care settings. However, few smokers receive cessation advice when visiting a hospital. Implementing smoking cessation technology in outpatient waiting rooms could be an effective strategy for change, with the potential to expose almost all patients visiting a health care provider without preluding physician action needed.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop an intervention for smoking cessation that would make use of the time patients spend in a waiting room by passively exposing them to a face-aging, public morphing, tablet-based app, to pilot the intervention in a waiting room of an HIV outpatient clinic, and to measure the perceptions of this intervention among smoking and nonsmoking HIV patients.

METHODS

We developed a kiosk version of our 3-dimensional face-aging app Smokerface, which shows the user how their face would look with or without cigarette smoking 1 to 15 years in the future. We placed a tablet with the app running on a table in the middle of the waiting room of our HIV outpatient clinic, connected to a large monitor attached to the opposite wall. A researcher noted all the patients who were using the waiting room. If a patient did not initiate app use within 30 seconds of waiting time, the researcher encouraged him or her to do so. Those using the app were asked to complete a questionnaire.

RESULTS

During a 19-day period, 464 patients visited the waiting room, of whom 187 (40.3%) tried the app and 179 (38.6%) completed the questionnaire. Of those who completed the questionnaire, 139 of 176 (79.0%) were men and 84 of 179 (46.9%) were smokers. Of the smokers, 55 of 81 (68%) said the intervention motivated them to quit (men: 45, 68%; women: 10, 67%); 41 (51%) said that it motivated them to discuss quitting with their doctor (men: 32, 49%; women: 9, 60%); and 72 (91%) perceived the intervention as fun (men: 57, 90%; women: 15, 94%). Of the nonsmokers, 92 (98%) said that it motivated them never to take up smoking (men: 72, 99%; women: 20, 95%). Among all patients, 102 (22.0%) watched another patient try the app without trying it themselves; thus, a total of 289 (62.3%) of the 464 patients were exposed to the intervention (average waiting time 21 minutes).

CONCLUSIONS

A face-aging app implemented in a waiting room provides a novel opportunity to motivate patients visiting a health care provider to quit smoking, to address quitting at their subsequent appointment and thereby encourage physician-delivered smoking cessation, or not to take up smoking.

Patients' Mental Health Journeys: A Qualitative Case Study with Interactive Computer-Assisted Client Assessment Survey (iCASS)

Despite growing concerns about common mental disorders (CMDs), challenges persist in accessing timely and appropriate care, especially for immigrant, refugee, racialized and low-income groups. Partnering with a community health centre serving these populations in Toronto, we examined the Interactive Computer-assisted Client Assessment Survey (iCCAS) that screens for CMDs (depression, generalized anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and alcohol overuse) and related social factors. In this case study design with embedded units, we explored the mental health care journeys of patients who screened positive for a CMD. The analysis identified three major pathways of care: (1) early detection of previously unidentified CMDs; (2) detection of comorbid mental health conditions; and (3) prevention of possible relapse and/or management of existing previously recognized mental health condition. These cases indicate iCCAS holds potential to facilitate more open, tailored, and informed collaborations between patients and clinicians regarding mental health care plans.