None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The study aimed to test whether the online mental health self-report by patients at home (or anywhere with internet and phone access) without necessarily presenting to an emergency department, to inform subsequent clinical triage contributed to reduction in the time required to complete triaging e and whether this novel approach was acceptable. Study hypotheses: 1) The intervention (online mental health self-report by patients prior to triage phone interview) reduces triage time compared to the usual triaging process; 2) The intervention is acceptable to clinicians and clients.
Interventions
Intervention: online mental health assessment (OMHA) which is a questionnaire to be completed by clients seeking assistance with their mental health. The questionnaire was developed using the NSW Health mental health triaging template as a guide. The clinical questions and the responses available for selection were designed by a team consisting of senior clinicians, including a panel of three psychiatrists and a clinical coordinator, in liaison with Aboriginal clinicians, and carer and consumer
Intervention: online mental health assessment (OMHA) which is a questionnaire to be completed by clients seeking assistance with their mental health. The questionnaire was developed using the NSW Health mental health triaging template as a guide. The clinical questions and the responses available for selection were designed by a team consisting of senior clinicians, including a panel of three psychiatrists and a clinical coordinator, in liaison with Aboriginal clinicians, and carer and consumer representatives. Online content was iteratively improved using feedback from Aboriginal clinicians, and carer and consumer representatives to make sure the content was culturally sensitive and easy to understand. Procedures: Eligible consented participants for psychiatry triaging will be randomly allocated to either control or intervention. Their GP will be informed about this study (by fax) and about the consent of their patient. In the experimental group, clients and carers will be sent a link to the online mental health assessment (OMHA) via email by a research assistant at the Mental Health Line. Once the client and carers complete the triaging using the OMHA which may take approximately 15 minutes, it will prepopulate the collected data into the triage documentation template and notify the relevant triage clinician. Then the clinician will review the documentation and conduct a shorter interview which may take approximately 10-15 minutes with the client over the phone and complete the triage documentation by doing the necessary editing and amendments. The research assistant will monitor the adherence to the intervention and record the time the triage clinician takes to complete triaging from the time he/she opens the prepopulated triage documents to the completion of documentation. Who will deliver the intervention: triage clinicians. Mode of delivery: over the phone. Number of times the intervention will be delivered: once. Location: Mental Health Line, Hunter New England Local Health District.
Sponsors
Hunter New England Health District
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
People 18 years and over. English speaking. Basic computer literacy required for using the OMHA. Access to a computer/smartphone, internet and email. Referred to the Mental health line via fax by their GP or other professionals.
Exclusion criteria
Minors under 18 years of age. People who are unable to give consent due to intellectual disability, medical status or age. People who require an interpreter. People needing urgent psychiatric assessment as stated in the referral letter. People who are in acute psychological distress (i.e. in a state of intolerable psychological pain or distress ). People who are acutely psychotic or manic. People who are acutely drugged or intoxicated. Re-connect clients (flag in the Community Health Information Management Enterprise (CHIME) system). People at increased risk of violence or suicide.
Outcome results
None listed