Literature Collection

OBJECTIVE: Precision child and youth mental healthcare has great potential to improve treatment success by tailoring interventions to individual needs. An innovative care pathway in a pediatric mental health outpatient clinic was designed to allow for neuropsychology data to be integrated in psychotherapeutic care. This paper describes the feasibility of this new pathway, including implementation outcomes, acceptability, and potential for future integration. METHOD: The target population was outpatients 6-17 years old referred for individual treatment to a tertiary outpatient mental health (OPMH) clinic. The new care pathway was co-developed by neuropsychologists and mental health practitioners. A logic model was created to guide the evaluation, which was informed by the Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation Maintenance framework. As part of the logic model, a stepped assessment protocol was implemented, and reports on neuropsychological function were shared with patients, caregivers, and care providers. Evaluation data were collected from phone surveys, questionnaires, a focus group, and administrative records. RESULTS: Forty-two patients scheduled to receive therapy over a 6-month period were offered the opportunity to participate in the new care pathway and 39 (93%) agreed. Self-reported outcome data showed that 83% of patients and 94% of caregivers valued neuropsychology-informed care, with some describing it as transformative. Almost all practitioners (91%) reported that the project added value to their clinical care. There were no adverse effects on participants nor the flow of patients through the system. CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychology-informed pediatric OPMH care was feasible and well-received. Clinical effectiveness should be studied in an experimental trial.

With the rise in mental and behavioral health (MBH) conditions among school-age children in the United States (US), the number of Emergency Department (ED) visits have also increased. However, ED settings struggle to meet the needs of children with MBH conditions safely and efficiently. This study integrated SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) 3.0 and 2.0 frameworks to explore the temporal and non-linear aspects of pediatric MBH patients' journey and work processes (professional, patient, and collaborative work) to identify process barriers to pediatric MBH care in the ED. This mixed-method, multiple case study used observations, staff interviews, and time stamps of patient visits from electronic medical records at four EDs in the south-eastern US to inform the integrated patient journey and staff workflow process maps. Most barriers identified related to "medical and psychiatric evaluations" and "disposition and treatment plan" segments of the patient journey, suggesting potential points for interventions.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are increasingly used in primary care practices; however, the broad characteristics of this population pose unique challenges. Generic PROMs (e.g., EQ-5D-5L) measure general health status from the patient's perspective, contributing towards a comprehensive evaluation of health programming. This study describes the integration of the EQ-5D-5L within program evaluation in primary care in Alberta, Canada, using two program examples. METHODS: A retrospective, longitudinal, observational design was used. The Edmonton O-day'min Primary Care Network (EOPCN) routinely collects the EQ-5D-5L in their exercise and active living and nutrition programs. Data collected between January 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 was analyzed descriptively, by dimension, index, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores. Minimally important differences were used to interpret index (0.04) and VAS scores (7.0) and the Pareto Classification of Health Change was applied to the dimensions. Effect size of change in index and VAS scores and population comparisons were examined. RESULTS: In the exercise and active living program (n = 301), 72% were female with a mean age of 57 (±16) years, and 90.2% reported any problems (levels 2-5) in pain/discomfort. The mean index and VAS scores were 0.74 (±0.18) and 66.5 (±18.9), respectively. Among those with repeated measurement (n = 112), the greatest improvement was in usual activities (17%); the greatest deterioration was in pain/discomfort (25%). In the nutrition program (n = 573), 71% were female with a mean age of 50 (±17) years, and 75.9% reported any problems in pain/discomfort. The mean index and VAS scores were 0.77 (±0.19) and 70.1 (±15.6), respectively. Among those with repeated measurement (n = 212), the greatest improvement was in anxiety/depression (16%); the greatest deterioration was in pain/discomfort (26%). In both, health status was lower than the general Alberta population norms. No baseline characteristics were found to be statistically significant. CONCLUSION: These results inform future programming, to help patient needs.

BACKGROUND: The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual alcohol screening and brief behavioral intervention (alcohol SBI) with general adult and pregnant populations. Implementation of alcohol SBI in primary care has encountered numerous barriers to adapting procedures and infrastructure to support its routine delivery. This collection of case studies describes the implementation strategies used by 4 academic health system teams that were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement alcohol SBI within healthcare systems to prevent alcohol-exposed pregnancies. METHODS: We used constructs from the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Expanded (FRAME) to describe planned and unplanned adaptations to implementation strategies, and the SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) Program Matrix to identify key questions, challenges, and recommendations for improving alcohol SBI implementation. Participating systems were 2 regional affiliates of a national reproductive healthcare organization, an integrated non-profit healthcare system, and an urban medical center and its affiliated network of community health centers. RESULTS: Planned adaptations included expanding the target population for brief interventions to include patients drinking at low levels who could become pregnant, modifying workflows and systems to support routine screening, and customizing training content and logistics. Unplanned adaptations included varying site recruitment and pre-implementation awareness-building strategies to enhance local receptivity of systems with decentralized management, and pivoting from in-person to virtual training during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fewer unplanned adaptations were observed for health systems with centralized management structures and practice teams that were fully engaged in implementation planning, training, roll-out, and problem-solving. CONCLUSIONS: Unplanned adaptations were observed across the 4 cases and emphasized the importance of flexible, adaptive designs when implementing evidence-based practice in dynamic settings. Participation of the health system in planning, including decisions to modify electronic health records and workflows, supported adapting to unplanned circumstances to achieve implementation goals.

BACKGROUND: An integrated collaborative care intervention was used to treat primary care patients with comorbid obesity and depression in a randomized clinical trial. To increase wider uptake and dissemination, information is needed on translational potential. METHODS: The trial collected longitudinal, qualitative data at baseline, 6 months (end of intensive treatment), 12 months (end of maintenance treatment), and 24 months (end of follow-up). Semi-structured interviews (n = 142) were conducted with 54 out of 409 randomly selected trial participants and 37 other stakeholders, such as recruitment staff, intervention staff, and clinicians. Using a Framework Analysis approach, we examined themes across time and stakeholder groups according to the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework. RESULTS: At baseline, participants and other stakeholders reported being skeptical of the collaborative care approach related to some RE-AIM dimensions. However, over time they indicated greater confidence regarding the potential for future public health impact. They also provided information on barriers and actionable information to enhance program reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. CONCLUSIONS: RE-AIM provided a useful framework for understanding how to increase the impact of a collaborative and integrative approach for treating comorbid obesity and depression. It also demonstrates the utility of using the framework as a planning tool early in the evidence-generation pipeline.