[Shared decision making in mental health care; evaluation of the added value for patients and clinicians]. / Samen beslissen in de ggz; onderzoek naar toegevoegde waarde voor patiënten en behandelaars.

BACKGROUND: Although the evidence is expanding, in mental health care shared decision making (SDM) is not widely applied. Moreover, little is known about the use of routine outcome monitoring (ROM) and eHealth in SDM.
AIM: PhD research on the added value of SDM using ROM and eHealth for patients and clinicians in mental health care.
METHOD: Three studies: 1. a literature research and a cross-sectional study on decisional conflict; 2. ROM implementation research and a cluster randomised trial on shared decision making using ROM (Breakthrough program); 3. a cluster randomised trial on shared decision making during the intake (regional).
RESULTS: The interventions did not lead to reduced decisional conflict for all patient groups. Decisional conflict gives insight into the patient's perspective on the quality of the decision making process and decisions being made. Only patients with depression, who participated in the national trial, reported less decisional conflict. This trial did not show a higher level of SDM, but did show increased usage of rom in clinical practice. Although the regional trial showed no results on decisional conflict, the application of SDM and treatment outcomes improved.
CONCLUSION: SDM in mental health care needs further improvement. We recommend investigating how to support patients better, taking into account the role that suits them.

[Providing insight into the construct decisional conflict and its usability to assess shared decision making]. / Het begrip 'beslissingsambivalentie' (decisional conflict) en de bruikbaarheid ervan bij de evaluatie van gedeelde besluitvorming.

BACKGROUND: The increased attention for shared decision making (sdm) in mental health care creates a need to evaluate its application. The construct decisional conflict, which refers to the satisfaction of patients regarding both the decision making process and the decisions made, could be of added value.
AIM: Clarifying decisional conflict and reflecting on its feasibility to evaluate sdm in mental health care.
METHOD: A literature study exploring the construct of decisional conflict was conducted, followed by a translation of the results into a visual model.
RESULTS: Decisional conflict is a multi-dimensional construct and consists of factors influencing the decision making process (information, support, values clarity), level of uncertainty concerning the options and the quality of the decision making. Decisional conflict can be illustrated by using a model and assessed with the Decisional Conflict Scale.
CONCLUSION: Decisional conflict is informative and useful in the evaluation of the application of sdm and improvement of the quality of the decision making in mental health care as well. This is of importance since patients who experienced less decisional conflict are more engaged in treatment and show better clinical outcomes.

[Trends in the utilization of Dutch mental health services by older adults between 1990-2004]. / Trends in het gebruik van geestelijke gezondheidszorg door ouderen in de periode 1990-2004.

AIM: Because the Dutch population has a growing number of older people, an increasing burden on mental health services is expected. To facilitate policy making for the future, it is important to know what changes there have been in use of mental health services by elderly in the past. This study investigates changes in the use of mental health services by older adults in the period 1990-2004. METHODS: Information about the use of mental health services by older adults was retrieved from the Dutch Psychiatric Case Registers. Population size in these register areas and the unit costs of the different mental health services were taken into account. RESULTS: In total there was an increase in the number of older adults that used mental health services in the period mentioned above. The costs, however, showed a decrease, which was caused by the decrease of expensive inpatient care and the increase of less expensive outpatient care. This was mainly the case until 2002. From this year on the ratio between inpatient and outpatient care stabilized. CONCLUSION: Deinstitutionalization of mental health care for older adults was shown in the period 1990-2002. This means that expensive inpatient care is partly replaced by less expensive outpatient care. As a consequence more older adults can be treated with no rise in costs. Since 2002 deinstitutionalization came to a halt. Because a growing number of older adults will be using mental health services in the future, new forms of outpatient care should be explored.

Trends in het gebruik van geestelijke gezondheidszorg door ouderen in de periode 1990-2004.

TRENDS IN THE UTILIZATION OF DUTCH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BY OLDER ADULTS BETWEEN 1990-2004: AimBecause the Dutch population has a growing number of older people, an increasing burden on mental health services is expected. To facilitate policy making for the future, it is important to know what changes there have been in use of mental health services by elderly in the past. This study investigates changes in the use of mental health services by older adults in the period 1990-2004. Methods: Information about the use of mental health services by older adults was retrieved from the Dutch Psychiatric Case Registers. Population size in these register areas and the unit costs of the different mental health services were taken into account. Results: In total there was an increase in the number of older adults that used mental health services in the period mentioned above. The costs, however, showed a decrease, which was caused by the decrease of expensive inpatient care and the increase of less expensive outpatient care. This was mainly the case until 2002. From this year on the ratio between inpatient and outpatient care stabilized. Conclusion: Deinstitutionalization of mental health care for older adults was shown in the period 1990-2002. This means that expensive inpatient care is partly replaced by less expensive outpatient care. As a consequence more older adults can be treated with no rise in costs. Since 2002 deinstitutionalization came to a halt. Because a growing number of older adults will be using mental health services in the future, new forms of outpatient care should be explored.