Benefits and Challenges of Video Consulting for Mental Health Diagnosis and Follow-Up: A Qualitative Study in Community Care.

Mental health services continue to experience rising demand that exceeds capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this crisis, with access to services being reduced. Although video consultations (VCs) are a solution, usage in UK community mental healthcare settings remains limited. This study aims to investigate psychiatrists' and general practitioners' (GPs) perceptions of the benefits and challenges of VC for the diagnosis and follow-up of general adult mental health patients in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews in NHS community mental healthcare settings were conducted. Psychiatrists (n = 11) and GPs (n = 12) were recruited through purposive sampling. An explorative qualitative approach was employed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Four key themes were identified: (1) patient access to VC, (2) suitability of VC for mental health consultations, (3) information gathering with VC and (4) clinician satisfaction with VC. This study provides valuable insights into the experiences of psychiatrists and GPs working in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. To facilitate a digital-first future for the NHS, greater investment in remote technologies is required, particularly in the context of growing mental healthcare demand. Though face-to-face consultations remain the gold standard, VC provides an efficient way of communicating with patients, particularly those with less severe forms of mental illness.

A Cost-Utility Analysis of Mesh Prophylaxis in the Prevention of Incisional Hernias following Stoma Closure Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Stoma closure is a widely performed surgical procedure, with 6295 undertaken in England in 2018 alone. This procedure is associated with significant complications; incisional hernias are the most severe, occurring in 30% of patients. Complications place considerable financial burden on the NHS; hernia costs are estimated at GBP 114 million annually. As recent evidence (ROCSS, 2020) found that prophylactic meshes significantly reduce rates of incisional hernias following stoma closure surgery, an evaluation of this intervention vs. standard procedure is essential. METHODS: A cost-utility analysis (CUA) was conducted using data from the ROCSS prospective multi-centre trial, which followed 790 patients, randomly assigned to mesh closure (n = 394) and standard closure (n = 396). Quality of life was assessed using mean EQ-5D-3L scores from the trial, and costs in GBP using UK-based sources over a 2-year time horizon. RESULTS: The CUA yielded an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of GBP 128,356.25 per QALY. Additionally, three univariate sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the model. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate an increased benefit with mesh prophylaxis, but at an increased cost. Although the intervention is cost-ineffective and greater than the ICER threshold of GBP 30,000/QALY (NICE), further investigation into mesh prophylaxis for at risk population groups is needed.