The CORE service improvement programme for mental health crisis resolution teams: results from a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Crisis resolution teams (CRTs) offer brief, intensive home treatment for people experiencing mental health crisis. CRT implementation is highly variable; positive trial outcomes have not been reproduced in scaled-up CRT care. AIMS: To evaluate a 1-year programme to improve CRTs' model fidelity in a non-masked, cluster-randomised trial (part of the Crisis team Optimisation and RElapse prevention (CORE) research programme, trial registration number: ISRCTN47185233). METHOD: Fifteen CRTs in England received an intervention, informed by the US Implementing Evidence-Based Practice project, involving support from a CRT facilitator, online implementation resources and regular team fidelity reviews. Ten control CRTs received no additional support. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction, measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8), completed by 15 patients per team at CRT discharge (n = 375). Secondary outcomes: CRT model fidelity, continuity of care, staff well-being, in-patient admissions and bed use and CRT readmissions were also evaluated. RESULTS: All CRTs were retained in the trial. Median follow-up CSQ-8 score was 28 in each group: the adjusted average in the intervention group was higher than in the control group by 0.97 (95% CI -1.02 to 2.97) but this was not significant (P = 0.34). There were fewer in-patient admissions, lower in-patient bed use and better staff psychological health in intervention teams. Model fidelity rose in most intervention teams and was significantly higher than in control teams at follow-up. There were no significant effects for other outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The CRT service improvement programme did not achieve its primary aim of improving patient satisfaction. It showed some promise in improving CRT model fidelity and reducing acute in-patient admissions.

Outcomes of Psychoeducation and a Text Messaging Adherence Intervention Among Individuals With Hypertension and Bipolar Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of psychoeducation plus an automated text messaging intervention (Individualized Texting for Adherence Building-Cardiovascular [iTAB-CV]) to improve adherence to antihypertensives and bipolar disorder medication. METHODS: After a psychoeducation program, iTAB-CV was administered for 2 months. In month 1, participants received one educational-motivational and one mood rating text daily. In month 2, medication reminders were added. RESULTS: The sample (N=38) was 74% African American and 53% women, with a mean±SD age of 51.53±9.06. Antihypertensive nonadherence decreased from a mean of 43%±23% to 21%±18% at 12 weeks (χ2=34.6, df=3, p<0.001). Systolic blood pressure decreased from a mean of 144.8±15.5 mmHg to 136.0±17.8 mmHg (χ2=17.6, df=3, p<.001). Retention was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: In this uncontrolled trial, participants were highly engaged and medication adherence and reduced systolic blood pressure were sustained after psychoeducation plus iTAB-CV. Because iTAB-CV is automated and delivered remotely, it has the potential to reach a large and challenging population.

Exploring concussion awareness in hockey with a First Nations community in Canada.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this pilot study was twofold: (1) to begin to understand concussion in youth hockey in a First Nations community in Canada and (2) to determine the impact of a novel concussion education workshop. DESIGN: A one-group quasiexperimental time series study was undertaken. SAMPLE: A total of 41 participants consented, with 71% (n = 29) completing data collection at all three study time points. MEASUREMENT AND INTERVENTIONS: Two nurses one from the First Nations community and one from the tertiary care center collaborated to develop and deliver the intervention on concussion specifically general, hockey and symptom knowledge. The primary outcome was Total Knowledge Score (TKS), whereby correct responses to a self-reported questionnaire were summed and then converted to a percentage. RESULTS: The TKS were similar across study time points; preworkshop 71.7%, postworkshop 71.8%, and 6-month follow-up 72%. CONCLUSIONS: Nurses worked collaboratively with cultural experts from a First Nations community to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing into concussion awareness and safety for First Nations youth playing hockey.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Concussion Information Sources Among First Nations in Ontario.

OBJECTIVE: Hockey is a popular sport played by many First Nation youth. Concussion frequently goes unrecognized and unreported in youth hockey. Unintentional injuries among Indigenous youth occur at rates three to four times the national Canadian average. The study sought to examine knowledge, attitudes and sources of concussion information among First Nations people attending a provincial hockey tournament. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken. The survey by Mzazik et al. were modified to use in this study. Participants included youth (6-18 years) hockey players (n=75), parents (n=248) and coaches (n=68). The main outcome measure was total knowledge index (TKI) which consisted of the sum of correct responses to 15 multiple choice questions. Additional data gathered included demographics, concussion history, attitudes toward concussion and sources of information. Descriptive statistics included proportion comparisons. Variables were tested using χ 2 and analysis of variance. RESULTS: Overall TKI scores (out of a total of 15) were low; players (5.9±2.8), parents (7.5±2.6) and coaches (7.9±2.6). Participants with higher knowledge scores reported more appreciation of the seriousness of concussion. Sources of information about concussion differed by study group, suggesting the need for multiple knowledge translation strategies to reach youth, parents and coaches. CONCLUSIONS: Future initiatives are urgently needed to improve education and prevention of concussion in First Nations youth hockey. Collaborating and engaging with communities can help to ensure an Indigenous lens for culturally safe interventions.

The CORE Service Improvement Programme for mental health crisis resolution teams: study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: As an alternative to hospital admission, crisis resolution teams (CRTs) provide intensive home treatment to people experiencing mental health crises. Trial evidence supports the effectiveness of the CRT model, but research suggests that the anticipated reductions in inpatient admissions and increased user satisfaction with acute care have been less than hoped for following the scaling up of CRTs nationally in England, as mandated by the National Health Service (NHS) Plan in 2000. The organisation and service delivery of the CRTs vary substantially. This may reflect the lack of a fully specified CRT model and the resources to enhance team model fidelity and to improve service quality. We will evaluate the impact of a CRT service improvement programme over a 1-year period on the service users' experiences of care, service use, staff well-being, and team model fidelity. METHODS/DESIGN: Twenty-five CRTs from eight NHS Trusts across England will be recruited to this cluster-randomised trial: 15 CRTs will be randomised to receive the service improvement programme over a 1-year period, and ten CRTs will not receive the programme. Data will be collected from 15 service users and all clinical staff from each participating CRT at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Service use data will be collected from the services' electronic records systems for two 6-month periods: the period preceding and the period during months 7-12 of the intervention. The study's primary outcome is service user satisfaction with CRT care, measured using a client satisfaction questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include the following: perceived continuity of care, hospital admission rates and bed use, rates of readmission to acute care following CRT support, staff morale, job satisfaction, and general health. The adherence of the services to a model of best practice will be assessed at baseline and follow-up. Outcomes will be compared between the intervention and control teams, adjusting for baseline differences and participant characteristics using linear random effects modelling. Qualitative investigations with participating CRT managers and staff and programme facilitators will explore the experiences of the service improvement programme. DISCUSSION: Our trial will show whether a theoretically underpinned and clearly defined package of resources are effective in supporting service improvement and improving outcomes for mental health crisis resolution teams. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN47185233.

Habitual prospective memory in HIV disease.

OBJECTIVE: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are associated with deficits in prospective memory (PM). However, most PM research in HIV has used single-event tasks as opposed to habitual PM paradigms, which may be more relevant to clinical populations for whom many health-care behaviors must be performed both frequently and routinely. METHOD: For the current study, we examined habitual PM and its associations with real-world functioning outcomes in 36 HIV+ individuals with HAND (HAND+), 70 HIV+ individuals without HAND (HAND-), and 115 HIV- individuals. The ongoing task consisted of 24 1-min Stroop trial blocks in which the emotive and cognitive load was manipulated. The habitual PM task required participants to press the spacebar once per block, but only after 20 s had elapsed. RESULTS: A series of MANOVAs covarying for relevant clinicodemographic factors revealed a main effect of study group on habitual PM, such that the HAND+ cohort made significantly more repetition errors than the HIV- and HAND- groups, particularly during early trial blocks. There was no main effect of ongoing task demands, nor was there an interaction between HAND group and task demands. Within the entire HIV+ sample, poorer habitual PM was associated with deficits in learning and dysfunction in real-world outcomes, including medication nonadherence and failures on a naturalistic health-care task. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate that HAND may be associated with deficient internal source monitoring or temporal discrimination for habitual PM output that may play a critical role in real-world functioning, including HIV disease management.

Prospective memory in HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND): the neuropsychological dynamics of time monitoring.

Strategic monitoring during a delay interval is theorized to be an essential feature of time-based prospective memory (TB PM), the cognitive architecture of which is thought to rely heavily on frontostriatal systems and executive functions. This hypothesis was examined in 55 individuals with HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and 108 seronegative comparison participants who were administered the Memory for Intentions Screening Test (MIST), during which time-monitoring (clock-checking) behavior was measured. Results revealed a significant interaction between HAND group and the frequency of clock checking, in which individuals with HAND checked the clock significantly less often than the comparison group across the TB PM retention intervals of the MIST. Subsequent analyses in the HAND sample revealed that the frequency of clocking checking was positively related to overall TB performance, as well as to standard clinical measures of retrospective memory and verbal fluency. These findings add support to a growing body of research elucidating TB PM's reliance on strategic monitoring processes dependent upon intact frontostriatal systems. HIV-associated TB strategic time-monitoring deficits may manifest in poorer functioning outcomes, including medication nonadherence and dependence in activities of daily living. Future research is needed to further delineate the cognitive mechanisms underlying strategic time monitoring in order to advise rehabilitation strategies for reducing HAND-related TB PM deficits.

Immediate life support (ILS) training Impact in a primary care setting?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate immediate life support (ILS) training in a primary care setting. METHODS: A 12 month pre/post-quasi-experimental and qualitative evaluation of ILS training across the counties of Devon and Cornwall (UK). Data were collected via feedback forms, pre/post course knowledge and skills tests and by focus group interviews with key stakeholders. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy-three professionals from 10 courses took part in the evaluation with a response rate of 93%. Feedback on the course was overwhelmingly positive. A significant improvement in both skills (p < or = 0.001) and knowledge (p < or = 0.001) was shown. However, a proportion of participants had a decline in knowledge by the end of the course. Those attending ILS had a significantly higher knowledge score at the start of the course (p = 0.002) than a group attending a BLS course, indicating that the preparatory course manual had been beneficial. Knowledge did not decline significantly by 6 months but skills did (p = 0.02), but remained higher than pre-course levels (p < or = 0.001). Knowledge (p = 0.008) and skill (p < or = 0.002) retention following the ILS course was significantly higher than in the BLS course sub-group, indicating the added value of ILS. The focus groups raised a number of themes relating to release of staff; funding issues; and the observed and reported effects of assessment inequity mainly relating to 'failure to fail' and 'dove and hawk' approaches. CONCLUSION: The course leads to a significant increase in skills and knowledge with good knowledge retention. Skill decline is significant which raises questions about the practice of practitioners who are not updated regularly. Issues of funding, staff resources and the assessment ethics and strategy need to be addressed.