ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Severe mental disorders can cause significant and lasting distress for patients and their families and generate high costs through the need for care and loss of productivity. This study tests DIALOG+, an app-based intervention to make routine patient-clinician meetings therapeutically effective. It combines a structured evaluation of patient satisfaction with a solution-focused approach. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative study, based on a controlled clinical trial, in which 9 psychiatrists and 18 patients used DIALOG+ monthly over a six-month period. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the experiences of participants and analysed in an inductive thematic analysis focusing on the feasibility and effects of the intervention in the Colombian context. RESULTS: Experiences were grouped into five overall themes: a) impact of the intervention on the consultation and the doctor-patient relationship; b) impact on patients and in promoting change; c) use of the supporting app, and d) adaptability of the intervention to the Colombian healthcare system. CONCLUSIONS: DIALOG+ was positively valued by most of the participants. Participants felt that it was beneficial to the routine consultation, improved communication and empowered patients to take a leading role in their care. More work is required to identify the patient groups that most benefit from DIALOG+, and to adjust it, particularly to fit brief consultation times, so that it can be rolled out successfully in the Colombian healthcare system.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care , Mental Disorders , Patient Satisfaction , Physician-Patient Relations , Humans , Colombia , Mental Disorders/therapy , Male , Female , Adult , Middle Aged , Ambulatory Care/organization & administration , Ambulatory Care/methods , Mobile Applications , Interviews as Topic , Qualitative Research , Communication , Severity of Illness Index , Young AdultABSTRACT
RESUMEN Introducción: Las enfermedades mentales graves producen un impacto significativo en términos de sufrimiento de los pacientes y sus familias, costos de atención y arios de vida perdidos por discapacidad. Este estudio pone a prueba la herramienta DIALOG+, una intervención basada en una App que combina una evaluación estructurada referente a 11 dominios, con un abordaje centrado en soluciones. Métodos: Estudio cualitativo anidado en un ensayo clínico controlado en el que 9 psiquiatras y una muestra intencional de 18 pacientes que utilizaron la aplicación DIALOG+ en controles mensuales durante 6 meses realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas sobre su experiencia. Resultados: El análisis se enfocó en determinar la aceptabilidad, la viabilidad y la efectividad de la intervención en el contexto colombiano mediante el método de análisis temático inductivo propuesto por Braun y Clarke. Los resultados fueron: a) impactos en la consulta y la relación médico-paciente; b) impactos en los pacientes y promoción del cambio; c) uso de la aplicación, y d) adaptabilidad al sistema de salud. Conclusiones: El instrumento DIALOG+ fue valorado positivamente por la mayoría de los participantes, dado que aporta al seguimiento de los pacientes con enfermedad mental grave porque incluye un componente psicoterapéutico en las consultas habituales y mejora la comunicación y el paciente se apropia de su proceso. Sin embargo, es pertinente delimitar la población que podría percibir los mayores beneficios y ajustar su esquema, sobre todo en relación con el tiempo de consulta, para que resulte exitosa su adaptación al sistema de salud colombiano.
ABSTRACT Introduction: Severe mental disorders can cause significant and lasting distress for patients and their families and generate high costs through the need for care and loss of productivity. This study tests DIALOG+, an app-based intervention to make routine patient-clinician meetings therapeutically effective. It combines a structured evaluation of patient satisfaction with a solution-focused approach. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study, based on a controlled clinical trial, in which 9 psychiatrists and 18 patients used DIALOG+ monthly over a six-month period. Semistructured interviews were used to explore the experiences of participants and analysed in an inductive thematic analysis focusing on the feasibility and effects of the intervention in the Colombian context. Results: Experiences were grouped into five overall themes: a) impact of the intervention on the consultation and the doctor-patient relationship; b) impact on patients and in promoting change; c) use of the supporting app, and d) adaptability of the intervention to the Colombian healthcare system. Conclusions: DIALOG+ was positively valued by most of the participants. Participants felt that it was beneficial to the routine consultation, improved communication and empowered patients to take a leading role in their care. More work is required to identify the patient groups that most benefit from DIALOG+, and to adjust it, particularly to fit brief consultation times, so that it can be rolled out successfully in the Colombian healthcare system.