Young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in transition from child to adult services: a qualitative study of the experiences of general practitioners in the UK

Practitioner Review: Continuity of mental health care from childhood to adulthood for youths with ADHD - who, how and when?

Many youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience significant long-term impairment and may develop concurrent mental and somatic health difficulties as adults. This is associated with burden and costs for the individual and society which could be prevented through continued support in youth. Yet, only few young people transition to adult mental health services for ongoing care in different countries worldwide. We provide an overview on current transition practices, highlighting the gaps in knowledge and the barriers to effective service transitioning, while considering the large geographical variation in available guidelines and service provision. For ease of use, this review is organized in a question-and-answer format covering different aspects of the transition process and considering both service users' and clinicians' perspectives. Consensus is needed to identify those that require continued care, the optimal timing to arrange transition, and the most suitable services. Finally, we discuss cost-effectiveness of transition practices, consider examples of best practice, and propose recommendations on how to improve transitional care, including the importance of service users' input into transition planning.

Primary care provision for young people with ADHD: a multi-perspective qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. UK guidance states that primary care has a vital role in effective ADHD management, including referral, medication prescribing and monitoring, and providing broader mental health and wellbeing support. However, many GPs feel unsupported to provide health care for young people with ADHD. Inadequate health care is associated with rising costs for patients and society.

AIM

To investigate the experiences of young people with ADHD accessing primary care in England, from the perspectives of people with lived experience of ADHD and healthcare professionals (HCPs).

DESIGN AND SETTING

A qualitative study. Interviews were conducted with HCPs (GPs, practice managers, and a wellbeing worker) and people with lived experience of ADHD (young people aged 16-25 years and their supporters) located in integrated care systems across England.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants at five purposively selected general practices (varying by deprivation, ethnicity, and setting). Questions focused on experiences of accessing/providing health care for ADHD. Reflexive thematic analysis was undertaken within a critical realist framework to understand how provision works in practice and to explore potential improvements.

RESULTS

In total, 20 interviews were completed with 11 HCPs and nine people with lived experience. Three themes were generated: a system under stress, incompatibility between ADHD and the healthcare system, and strategies for change in ADHD primary care provision.

CONCLUSION

Standardisation of ADHD management in primary care, providing better information and support for HCPs, and advising on reasonable adjustments for people with lived experience could help improve access to effective treatments for young people living with ADHD.

Protocol for the mixed methods, Managing young people (aged 16-25) with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Primary care (MAP) study: mapping current practice and co-producing guidance to improve healthcare in an underserved population

INTRODUCTION

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children and adolescents, with an average worldwide prevalence of 5%. Up to 40% of young people continue to experience symptoms into adulthood. Young people with ADHD experience poorer outcomes than their peers across multiple domains, with treatment shown to reduce these risks. Primary care practitioners play an important role in healthcare provision for this group in the UK. However, many feel unsure about how best to provide support, reporting prescribing concerns and need for more evidence-based guidance. A lack of national data on primary care provision hinders efforts to improve access to care and optimise outcomes. This mixed-methods study aims to provide evidence that may be used to improve primary care services for young people aged 16-25 years with ADHD.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

There are three interlinked work packages: (a) a mapping study including a survey of stakeholders (healthcare professionals, people with ADHD and commissioners) will map ADHD prescribing practice, shared-care arrangements, available support and practitioner roles by geographic locations across England for different respondent groups; (b) a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (10-15 healthcare professionals and 10-15 people with ADHD) will explore experiences of 'what works' and 'what is needed' in terms of service provision and synthesise findings; (c) workshops will integrate findings from (a) and (b) and work with stakeholders to use this evidence to codevelop key messages and guidance to improve care.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The protocol has been approved by Yorkshire and the Humber-Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee. Recruitment commenced in September 2022. Findings will be disseminated via research articles in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, public involvement events, patient groups and media releases. A summary of study findings will be shared with participants at the end of the study.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05518435.

Identification and treatment of individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorder: An expert consensus statement

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occurs with substance use (SU) and/or substance use disorder (SUD). Individuals with concurrent ADHD and SU/SUD can have complex presentations that may complicate diagnosis and treatment. This can be further complicated by the context in which services are delivered. Also, when working with young people and adults with co-existing ADHD and SU/SUD, there is uncertainty among healthcare practitioners on how best to meet their needs. In February 2022, the United Kingdom ADHD Partnership hosted a meeting attended by multidisciplinary experts to address these issues. Following presentations providing attendees with an overview of the literature, group discussions were held synthesizing research evidence and clinical experience. Topics included: (1) A review of substances and reasons for use/misuse; (2) identification, assessment and treatment of illicit SU/SUD in young people and adults with ADHD presenting in community services; and (3) identification, assessment and treatment of ADHD in adults presenting in SU/SUD community and inpatient services. Dis-cussions highlighted inter-service barriers and fragmentation of care. It was concluded that a multimodal and multi-agency approach is needed. The consensus group generated a table of practice recommendations providing guidance on: identification and assessment; pharmacological and psychological treatment; and multi-agency interventions.

Real price of health-experiences of out-of-pocket costs in Australia: protocol for a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Australians have substantial out-of-pocket (OOP) health costs compared with other developed nations, even with universal health insurance coverage. This can significantly affect access to care and subsequent well-being, especially for priority populations including those on lower incomes or with multimorbidity and chronic illness. While it is known that high OOP healthcare costs may contribute to poorer health outcomes, it is not clear exactly how these expenses are experienced by people with chronic illnesses. Understanding this may provide critical insights into the burden of OOP costs among this population group and may highlight policy gaps.

METHOD AND ANALYSIS

A systematic review of qualitative studies will be conducted using Pubmed, CINAHL Complete (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO (Ovid) and EconLit from date of inception to June 2022. Primary outcomes will include people's experiences of OOP costs such as their preferences, priorities, trade-offs and other decision-making considerations. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and methodological appraisal of included studies will be assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. A narrative synthesis will be conducted for all included studies.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval was not required given this is a systematic review that does not include human recruitment or participation. The study's findings will be disseminated through conferences and symposia and shared with consumers, policymakers and service providers, and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022337538.

Impact of digital interdisciplinary consultation on secondary care referrals by general practitioners: a protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Optimal collaboration between general practice and hospital care is crucial to maintain affordable and sustainable access to healthcare for the entire population. General practitioners (GPs) are the gatekeepers to specialist care and patients will visit hospitals mostly only after referral. However, a substantial part of these referrals may be inappropriate, as communication between GPs and medical specialists can be challenging and referring patients may be the most obvious action for a GP to perform.A new digital platform (Prisma) connects GPs and specialists in interdisciplinary groups and facilitates asynchronous, accessible and fast teleconsultation within the group. No previous research has been done to evaluate the impact of this new platform on the referral rates to the hospital.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be performed in Zwolle region in the Netherlands to analyse the effect of introduction of the platform on rate of inappropriate referrals to orthopaedic surgery. In four steps, GPs in the region will be given access to the platform. GPs will be part of the control condition until randomisation to the intervention. According to our sample size calculation, we need to include 18 practices with 1008 patients presenting with hip and knee symptoms. Routine care data of hospital registrations will be analysed to calculate the rate of inappropriate referrals (primary outcome). Secondary outcome are costs, primary and secondary care workload, posted cases and user satisfaction. Alongside this quantitative analysis, we will evaluate patient experience, facilitators and barriers for use of the platform.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The medical ethics review board of University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Netherlands (METc-number: 2021/288) has confirmed that the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) does not apply to the process evaluation because the study does not involve randomisation of patients or different medical treatments (letter number: M21.275351).

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NL9704.

Enablers and barriers to implementing obesity assessments in clinical practice: a rapid mixed-methods systematic review

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aims to improve our knowledge of enablers and barriers to implementing obesity-related anthropometric assessments in clinical practice.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, Embase and CINAHL to November 2021.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Quantitative studies that reported patient factors associated with obesity assessments in clinical practice (general practice or primary care); and qualitative studies that reported views of healthcare professionals about enablers and barriers to their implementation.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

We used random-effects meta-analysis to pool ratios for categorical predictors reported in ≥3 studies expressed as pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI, applied inverse variance weights, and investigated statistical heterogeneity (I²), publication bias (Egger's test), and sensitivity analyses. We used reflexive thematic analysis for qualitative data and applied a convergent integrated approach to synthesis.

RESULTS

We reviewed 22 quantitative (observational) and 3 qualitative studies published between 2004 and 2020. All had ≥50% of the quality items for risk of bias assessments. Obesity assessment in clinical practice was positively associated with patient factors: female sex (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.50, I² 99.8%, mostly UK/USA), socioeconomic deprivation (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.18 to 1.24, I² 73.9%, UK studies), non-white race/ethnicity (RR 1.27, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.57, I² 99.6%) and comorbidities (RR 2.11, 95% CI 1.60 to 2.79, I² 99.6%, consistent across most countries). Obesity assessment was also most common in the heaviest body mass index group (RR 1.55, 95% CI 0.99 to 2.45, I² 99.6%). Views of healthcare professionals were positive about obesity assessments when linked to patient health (convergent with meta-analysis for comorbidities) and if part of routine practice, but negative about their role, training, time, resources and incentives in the healthcare system.

CONCLUSIONS

Our evidence synthesis revealed several important enablers and barriers to obesity assessments that should inform healthcare professionals and relevant stakeholders to encourage adherence to clinical practice guideline recommendations.

Transition care for adolescents and young adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A descriptive summary of qualitative evidence

The review presents a summary of available evidence about transition care of ADHD patients from all service users' perspectives. Common barriers, and suggestions for improvement ADHD of transition care, were extrapolated from qualitative research, including case notes studies, and were exposed. A comprehensive search of the PubMed, Embase, PsychInfo and Web of Science databases for articles published up to October 2021 was conducted to summarize recent evidence on the experiences of all stakeholders involved in the transition process. Reviews, other chronic conditions and different meaning of transition were excluded. Authors extracted data and assessed study quality independently. Findings were discussed taking into consideration barriers and suggestions from all service users' perspectives. Findings from 23 studies with different context and methods were collected and summarized. Most of the studies were conducted in UK, using interviews and questionnaires, and addressed to the physicians. The lack of information about ADHD as a condition and about transition process were the barriers most reported, while joint working and sharing transition protocols were the suggestions pointed out by all stakeholders. Despite different perspectives, all stakeholders exposed similar needs. The review reveals an evident need for defining and evaluating the effectiveness of transition programmes from child to adult ADHD services.

Mainstreaming adult ADHD into primary care in the UK: guidance, practice, and best practice recommendations

BACKGROUND

ADHD in adults is a common and debilitating neurodevelopmental mental health condition. Yet, diagnosis, clinical management and monitoring are frequently constrained by scarce resources, low capacity in specialist services and limited awareness or training in both primary and secondary care. As a result, many people with ADHD experience serious barriers in accessing the care they need.

METHODS

Professionals across primary, secondary, and tertiary care met to discuss adult ADHD clinical care in the United Kingdom. Discussions identified constraints in service provision, and service delivery models with potential to improve healthcare access and delivery. The group aimed to provide a roadmap for improving access to ADHD treatment, identifying avenues for improving provision under current constraints, and innovating provision in the longer-term. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines were used as a benchmark in discussions.

RESULTS

The group identified three interrelated constraints. First, inconsistent interpretation of what constitutes a 'specialist' in the context of delivering ADHD care. Second, restriction of service delivery to limited capacity secondary or tertiary care services. Third, financial limitations or conflicts which reduce capacity and render transfer of care between healthcare sectors difficult. The group recommended the development of ADHD specialism within primary care, along with the transfer of routine and straightforward treatment monitoring to primary care services. Longer term, ADHD care pathways should be brought into line with those for other common mental health disorders, including treatment initiation by appropriately qualified clinicians in primary care, and referral to secondary mental health or tertiary services for more complex cases. Long-term plans in the NHS for more joined up and flexible provision, using a primary care network approach, could invest in developing shared ADHD specialist resources.

CONCLUSIONS

The relegation of adult ADHD diagnosis, treatment and monitoring to specialist tertiary and secondary services is at odds with its high prevalence and chronic course. To enable the cost-effective and at-scale access to ADHD treatment that is needed, general adult mental health and primary care must be empowered to play a key role in the delivery of quality services for adults with ADHD.

Nursing contributions to virtual models of care in primary care: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual care has gained increased attention, particularly in primary care for the ongoing delivery of routine services. Nurses have had an increased presence in virtual care and have contributed meaningfully to the delivery of team-based care in primary care; however, their exact contributions in virtual models of primary care remain unclear. The Nursing Role Effectiveness Model, applied in a virtual care and primary care context, outlines the association between structural variables, nursing roles and patient outcomes. The aim of this scoping review is to identify and synthesise the international literature surrounding nurse contributions to virtual models of primary care.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The Joanna Briggs Institute scoping review methodology will guide this review. We performed preliminary searches in April 2022 and will use CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase and APA PsycInfo for the collection of sources for this review. We will also consider grey literature, such as dissertations/theses and organisational reports, for inclusion. Studies will include nurses across all designations (ie, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, practical nurses). To ensure studies capture roles, nurses should be actively involved in healthcare delivery. Sources require a virtual care and primary care context; studies involving the use of digital technology without patient-provider interaction will be excluded. Following a pilot test, trained reviewers will independently screen titles/abstracts for inclusion and extract relevant data. Data will be organised using the Nursing Role Effectiveness Model, outlining the virtual care and primary care context (structure component) and the nursing role concept (process component).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This review will involve the collection and analysis of secondary sources that have been published and/or are publicly available. Therefore, ethics approval is not required. Scoping review findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at relevant conferences, targeting international primary care stakeholders.

Addressing the Treatment and Service Needs of Young Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a complex period in which multiple changes take place (education, work, independent living, and social relations). This stage is especially difficult for adolescents suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), who have to move on from child and adolescent mental health services to adult mental health services. This review analyzes developmental and environmental risk and protective factors as well as critical variables such as executive functioning and self-monitoring that influence the course of ADHD in transitional age youth and guide the priorities for an optimal transition of care. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic is also discussed. We reflect on the unmet needs for an optimal transition of care and propose practice and policy recommendations to achieve this goal.

Young people who have fallen through the mental health transition gap: a qualitative study on primary care support

BACKGROUND

Owing to poor continuity of care between child and adult mental health services, young people are often discharged to their GP when they reach the upper boundary of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). This handover is poorly managed, and GPs can struggle to support young people without input from specialist services. Little is known about young people's experiences of accessing mental health support from their GP after leaving CAMHS.

AIM

To explore the experiences and perspectives of young people and the parents/carers of young people receiving primary care support after CAMHS and to identify barriers and facilitators to accessing primary care.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Qualitative study with young people and parents in two English counties: London and West Midlands.

METHOD

Narrative interviews were conducted with 14 young people and 13 parents who had experienced poor continuity of care after reaching CAMHS transition boundary. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three themes were identified: unmet mental health needs, disjointed care, and taking responsibility for the young person's mental health care. Barriers included the perception that GPs couldn't prescribe certain medication, anxiety caused by the general practice environment, and having to move to a new practice at university. Young people's positive experiences were more likely to include having a long-term relationship with their GP and finding that their GP made time to understand their needs and experiences.

CONCLUSION

GPs could help to meet the unmet needs of young people unable to access specialist mental health services after leaving CAMHS. There is a need for comprehensive handover of care from CAMHS to GPs, which could include a joint meeting with the young person and a member of the CAMHS team. Future research should focus on interventions which improve continuity of care for young people after leaving CAMHS, and collaborative working across community mental health services.

Mental health specialist video consultations for patients with somatic symptom disorder in primary care: protocol for a randomised feasibility trial (the VISION trial)

INTRODUCTION

General practitioners (GP) report increasing difficulties in referring patients with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) in specialised psychosocial care. Barriers are structural conditions of the respective healthcare system and patients' reservations against receiving specialised psychosocial care. As patients with SSD often predominantly assume somatic influencing factors for the development and maintenance of their somatic complaints, close collaboration between the GP and mental health specialist (MHS) seems particularly important. Integrating internet-based video consultations by remotely located MHS and primary care can improve effective treatment of patients with SSD by overcoming structural barriers and provide low-threshold and timely care. The aim of this randomised controlled feasibility trial is to investigate the feasibility of implementing MHS video consultations in primary care practices.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Fifty primary care patients with SSD will be individually randomised in two groups receiving either enhanced treatment as usual as provided by their GP (control group) or two versus five video consultations conducted by an MHS additionally to enhanced treatment as usual. The video consultations focus on (a) diagnostic clarification, (b) the development of a biopsychosocial disorder model, and (c) development of a treatment plan against the background of a stepped-care algorithm based on clinical outcomes. We will investigate the following outcomes: effectiveness of the recruitment strategies, patient acceptance of randomisation, practicability of the technical and logistical processes related to implementing video consultations in the practices' workflows, feasibility of the data collection and clinical parameters.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This trial has undergone ethical scrutiny and has been approved by the Medical Faculty of the University of Heidelberg Ethics Committee (S-620/2021). The findings will be disseminated to the research community through presentations at conferences and publications in scientific journals. This feasibility trial will prepare the ground for a large-scale, fully powered randomised controlled trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

DRKS00026075.

In transition with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): children's services clinicians' perspectives on the role of information in healthcare transitions for young people with ADHD

BACKGROUND

National clinical guidelines emphasise the need for good communication of information by clinicians to young people and their parent/carers about what to expect during transition into adult services. Recent research indicates that of young people in need of transition for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), only a minority experience continuity of care into adulthood, with additional concerns about quality of transition. This qualitative analysis explored the role that information plays in the transition from child to adult mental health services for young people with ADHD, from the perspectives of clinicians working in children's services.

METHODS

Participants were recruited from National Health Service (NHS) Trusts located across the United Kingdom (UK), with varying service configurations. Twenty-two qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 paediatricians and seven psychiatrists working in child services and supporting young people with ADHD. The Framework Method was used to complete a thematic analysis of data related to the role of information in transitional care.

RESULTS

Two themes were identified in relation to the role of information in supporting transition and promoting continuity of care. Information for clinicians; about adult mental health services, the young person and their ADHD, and exchanged between services. Sharing information with young people; about transition processes, self-management, to support service engagement, and tailored to be accessible to young people with ADHD. Clinicians in children's services reported variable access to information. Clear protocols and being able to communicate about ADHD as a long-term condition, were described as having a positive impact on the transition process.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings illustrate that clear information on the transition process, and communication of evidence based and up-to-date information on ADHD as a long-term condition are essential components for clinicians supporting transition into adult services. Information exchange can be supported through transition discussions with young people, and joint meetings between services Discussions should be accompanied by accessible resources for young people and parents/carers such as leaflets and websites. Further efforts should be focussed on enabling clinicians to provide timely and appropriate information to young people with ADHD to support transition.

Exploring how and why social prescribing evaluations work: a realist review

OBJECTIVE

The evidence base for social prescribing is inconclusive, and evaluations have been criticised for lacking rigour. This realist review sought to understand how and why social prescribing evaluations work or do not work. Findings from this review will contribute to the development of an evidence-based evaluation framework and reporting standards for social prescribing.

DESIGN

A realist review.

DATA SOURCES

ASSIA, CINAHL, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus Online, Social Care Online, Web of Science and grey literature.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Documents reporting on social prescribing evaluations using any methods, published between 1998 and 2020 were included. Documents not reporting findings or lacking detail on methods for data collection and outcomes were excluded.

ANALYSIS

Included documents were segregated into subcases based on methodology. Data relating to context, mechanisms and outcomes and the programme theory were extracted and context-mechanism-outcome configurations were developed. Meta-inferences were drawn from all subcases to refine the programme theory.

RESULTS

83 documents contributed to analysis. Generally, studies lacked in-depth descriptions of the methods and evaluation processes employed. A cyclical process of social prescribing evaluation was identified, involving preparation, conducting the study and interpretation. The analysis found that coproduction, alignment, research agency, sequential mixed-methods design and integration of findings all contributed to the development of an acceptable, high-quality social prescribing evaluation design. Context-mechanism-outcome configurations relating to these themes are reported.

CONCLUSIONS

To develop the social prescribing evidence base and address gaps in our knowledge about the impact of social prescribing and how it works, evaluations must be high quality and acceptable to stakeholders. Development of an evaluation framework and reporting standards drawing on the findings of this realist review will support this aim.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020183065.

Annual Research Review: A systematic review of mental health services for emerging adults - moulding a precipice into a smooth passage

BACKGROUND

The transition between child and adult services should aim to support young people into the next stage of their life in a way that optimises their function. Yet financial, organisational and procedural barriers to continuity of care often hamper smooth transition between child and adult services.

AIM AND METHOD

We reviewed studies of transition from child to adult mental health services, focusing on: (a) rates of referrals and referral acceptance; (b) barriers and facilitators of successful transition; (c) continuity of care during and post-transition and (d) service users' experience of transition. Studies were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases: PsycINFO, Medline, Embase and Child Development and Adolescent Studies.

FINDINGS

Forty-seven papers describing 43 unique studies met inclusion criteria. Service provision is influenced by previous history and funding processes, and the presence or absence of strong primary care, specialist centres of excellence and coordination between specialist and primary care. Provision varies between and within countries, particularly whether services are restricted to 'core' mental health or broader needs. Unsupportive organisational culture, fragmentation of resources, skills and knowledge base undermine the collaborative working essential to optimise transition. Stigma and young people's concerns about peers' evaluation often prompt disengagement and discontinuation of care during transition, leading to worsening of symptoms and later, to service re-entry. Qualitative studies reveal that young people and families find the transition process frustrating and difficult, mainly because of lack of advanced planning and inadequate preparation.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite increasing research interest over the last decade, transition remains 'poorly planned, executed and experienced'. Closer collaboration between child and adult services is needed to improve the quality of provision for this vulnerable group at this sensitive period of development.

GPs' views on the implementation of combined lifestyle interventions in primary care in the Netherlands: a qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

Prevention and lifestyle support are emerging topics in general practice. Healthcare insurance companies reimburse combined lifestyle interventions (CLIs) in the Netherlands since January 2019. CLIs support people with overweight (body mass index, BMI 25-30) or obesity (BMI >30) to reduce weight in peer groups. General practitioners (GPs) are key in the successful implementation of lifestyle interventions in primary care. This study explored GPs' experiences and views on the implementation of CLIs to identify barriers and facilitators to the successful implementation in primary care.

DESIGN

Qualitative study using semistructured interviews. Content analysis consisted of thematic coding and mapping a first stage of predefined and second stage of iterative evolving set of themes.

SETTING

GPs were interviewed in a variety of primary care practices between February and April 2019.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifteen GPs were purposively recruited for semi-structured interviews through snowballing.

RESULTS

Experiences with lifestyle support among GPs ranged from referring patients to other healthcare professionals to taking a proactive role in lifestyle support themselves. Whether or not GPs took an active role in lifestyle support was related to their belief in the effect of lifestyle interventions. Overall, GPs had little experience with CLI in every day practice. Perceived barriers were a lack of availability of CLIs in the region and the potential lack of added value of CLIs on top of existing lifestyle support. Perceived facilitators were coordination of care provision by GP cooperatives and monitoring of the CLI implementation and their results. Reimbursement of CLIs without any costs for participants enabled application.

CONCLUSION

The importance of lifestyle interventions in primary care was acknowledged by all GPs, but they differed in their level of experience with providing lifestyle support and awareness of CLIs. Successful integration of CLIs with primary care requires a solid promotion, a well-coordinated implementation strategy and structural evaluation of long-term effectiveness.

Provider perspectives of barriers and facilitators to the transition from pediatric to adult care: a qualitative descriptive study using the COM-B model of behaviour

Objectives

Transition of care can be a complex process that involves multiple providers working together across the pediatric and adult health care system to support youth. The shift from a primarily family-centred approach to a patient-centred approach that emphasizes more personal responsibility for health care management can be challenging for youth, caregivers and providers to navigate. Despite the importance of transition, there is a lack of evidence about the best practices and types of interventions that support the transition of care process from the perspective of both pediatric and adult health care providers. An exploration of barriers and facilitators is a critical first step to identifying important behavioural determinants for designing and implementing evidence-based interventions. As such, the purpose of this study was to identify the barriers and facilitators to the transition of care from the perspective of pediatric and adult health care providers.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive design was used to conduct semi-structured interviews guided by the COM-B Model of Behaviour – a theoretical model that suggests that for any behaviour to occur there must be a change in one or more of the following domains: capability, opportunity and/or motivation. The study took place in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada and focused on three common conditions: Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Diabetes, and Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Participants were recruited through stratified purposeful and convenience sampling and all interviews were conducted virtually on Zoom. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and imported into NVivo Qualitative Data Software for analysis. Data were first analyzed using directed content analysis, guided by the COM-B model, then further examined using inductive thematic analysis to identify barriers and facilitators within the three domains.

Results

In total, 26 health care providers participated in this study (pediatric, n=13, adult n=13) including a mix of adult and pediatric physicians, nurses, and allied health care professionals. The participants identified primarily as female (n=19.73%) and had a range of years of experience (3–39, mean = 14.84). We identified a range of interconnected barriers and facilitators across each of the COM-B Model of Behaviour domains such as, degree of formalized training (capability), facilitation and coordination responsibilities (opportunity), collaboration across providers (opportunities), securing attachment to adult care system (motivation) and time (opportunity). Findings were categorized by three overarching themes: (1) Knowledge and Skills to Support Transition of Care; (2) Navigation Role for Youth and Caregivers; and (3) System Coordination.

Conclusions

By using the COM-B Model of Behaviour, we identified key barriers and facilitators that intersect to influence the transition of care process. These findings will be used to inform and adapt initiatives and interventions in Nova Scotia to improve the transition experience, as well as may be transferrable to other jurisdictions.

'The experiences, perspectives, and needs of young people who access support for mental health in primary care: a systematic review'

Background

There is an increasing demand for mental health support in primary care, especially for young people. To improve mental health support for young people in general practice, the needs of young people must be considered.

Aim

To explore the experiences of young people (aged 12–25 years) on receiving mental health care in primary care and identify the needs of young people who present with mental health concerns.

Design and setting

A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

Method

This was a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Six databases were searched for literature relating to young people’s experiences of receiving mental health care in primary care. Additional handsearching and manual internet searching were conducted. Narrative synthesis was employed.

Results

Five papers and a further two reports from manual internet searching were found, resulting in the inclusion of 1823 young people from four different countries (UK, US, Ireland, and Canada) for synthesis. The synthesis generated four themes: the centrality of a trusting relationship; showing empathy and taking concerns seriously; being given time to talk; and barriers to accessing mental health support in primary care.

Conclusion

Young people need a trusting relationship to discuss sensitive issues. To enable high-quality and effective mental health consultations with young people and the development of trust, GPs require unhurried consultations and the ability to maintain continuity of care.

Nominal group technique to establish the core components of home-based rehabilitation for survivors of stroke with severe disability

In the UK, over 20% of patients leaving hospital after a stroke will be severely disabled. Despite this, limited clinical guidance is available to teams tasked with providing support for this complex population at home. Additionally, many areas across the UK are not commissioned to treat this patient cohort, leaving them with no specialist support on discharge.

OBJECTIVES

To establish core components of home-based rehabilitation for survivors of stroke with severe disability, based on expert panel consensus.

SETTING

Virtual nominal group technique (vNGT) across the UK.

PARTICIPANTS

Experts in the field of stroke rehabilitation (n=14) including researchers, clinicians and those with lived experience.

METHODS

Two vNGT were completed using a freely available online platform, Microsoft Teams. The technique's five stages were completed virtually; introduction, silent idea generation, round robin, clarifications and scoring. Statements were analysed for consensus, those achieving consensus underwent content analysis to form rich overarching consensus statements.

RESULTS

A combined total of 421 statements achieved positive consensus (>75% in agreement), which formed 11 overarching consensus statements. These outline key components of home-based rehabilitation for survivors of stroke with severe disability including the structure and members of the team, as well as the skills and knowledge required.

CONCLUSION

The consensus statements highlight the complexity of managing patients with severe stroke disability following discharge from hospital. This study has the potential to support the provision of services for this patient group, providing a benchmark for commissioners and clinicians as well as setting expectations for stroke survivors and their carers. What remains unknown is how many services currently offer this service to patients with severe disability.

'The nurse did not even greet me': how informed versus non-informed patients evaluate health systems responsiveness in South Africa

Introduction

Universal Health Coverage is not only about access to health services but also about access to high-quality care, since poor experiences may deter patients from accessing care. Evidence shows that quality of care drives health outcomes, yet little is known about non-clinical dimensions of care, and patients’ experience thereof relative to satisfaction with visits. This paper investigates the role of non-clinical dimensions of care in patient satisfaction.

Methods

Our study describes the interactions of informed and non-informed patients with primary healthcare workers at 39 public healthcare facilities in two metropolitan centres in two South African provinces. Our analysis included 1357 interactions using standardised patients (for informed patients) and patients’ exit interviews (for non-informed patients). The data were combined for three types of visits: contraception, hypertension and tuberculosis. We describe how satisfaction with care was related to patients’ experiences of non-clinical dimensions.

Results

We show that when real patients (RPs) reported being satisfied (vs dissatisfied) with a visit, it was associated with a 30% increase in the probability that a patient is greeted at the facilities. Likewise, when the RPs reported being satisfied (vs dissatisfied) with the visit, it was correlated with a 15% increase in the prospect that patients are pleased with healthcare workers’ explanations of health conditions.

Conclusion

Informed patients are better equipped to assess health-systems responsiveness in healthcare provision. Insights into responsiveness could guide broader efforts aimed at targeted education and empowerment of primary healthcare users to strengthen health systems and shape expectations for appropriate care and conduct.

Failure of Healthcare Provision for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the United Kingdom: A Consensus Statement

Background: Despite evidence-based national guidelines for ADHD in the United Kingdom (UK), ADHD is under-identified, under-diagnosed, and under-treated. Many seeking help for ADHD face prejudice, long waiting lists, and patchy or unavailable services, and are turning to service-user support groups and/or private healthcare for help. Methods: A group of UK experts representing clinical and healthcare providers from public and private healthcare, academia, ADHD patient groups, educational, and occupational specialists, met to discuss shortfalls in ADHD service provision in the UK. Discussions explored causes of under-diagnosis, examined biases operating across referral, diagnosis and treatment, together with recommendations for resolving these matters. Results: Cultural and structural barriers operate at all levels of the healthcare system, resulting in a de-prioritization of ADHD. Services for ADHD are insufficient in many regions, and problems with service provision have intensified as a result of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has established a range of adverse outcomes of untreated ADHD, and associated long-term personal, social, health and economic costs are high. The consensus group called for training of professionals who come into contact with people with ADHD, increased funding, commissioning and monitoring to improve service provision, and streamlined communication between health services to support better outcomes for people with ADHD. Conclusions: Evidence-based national clinical guidelines for ADHD are not being met. People with ADHD should have access to healthcare free from discrimination, and in line with their legal rights. UK Governments and clinical and regulatory bodies must act urgently on this important public health issue.

"I'm just a long history of people rejecting referrals" experiences of young people who fell through the gap between child and adult mental health services

The paediatric-adult split in mental health care necessitates young people to make a transition between services when they reach the upper end of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). However, we know that this transition is often poor, and not all young people who require ongoing support are able to continue care in adult mental health services (AMHS). These young people are said to have fallen through the gap between services. This research aimed to explore the reasons why young people fall through the gap between CAMHS and AMHS, and what effect this has had on them and their families. Narrative interviews were conducted with 15 young people and 15 parents, representing 19 unique transition stories. Themes were identified collaboratively using thematic analysis. Reasons for falling through the gap were grouped into systemic problems and problems with the quality of care received. Effects of falling through the gap were grouped into separate themes for young people (feeling abandoned; struggling to manage without continued care; problems with medication) and parents (emotional impact of care ending; parents taking an active role in the young person's care). To our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study that has focused only on the experiences of young people who have fallen through the gap between services. This research adds novel findings to existing literature regarding barriers to transition and the effects of discontinuity of care.

Disease composition and epidemiological characteristics of primary care visits in Pudong New Area, Shanghai: a longitudinal study, 2016-2018

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to analyse the disease composition of primary care visits rather than specialist visits, the former of which had scarcely been studied. We adopted specific disease classification (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision), disease system and communicable/non-communicable/injury disease classification, and variations of sex and age were also analysed.

SETTING

We extracted data from all community health service centres (CHSCs) and community health service stations in Pudong, Shanghai, from 2016 to 2018 using the electronic health record systems of the Pudong health information centre.

PARTICIPANTS

Our data included all 46 720 972 primary care visits from 2016 to 2018 in CHSCs in Pudong.

RESULTS

We found that the top five diseases in primary care visits continued to be primary hypertension, problems related to medical facilities, chronic ischaemic heart disease, unspecified diabetes mellitus and acute upper respiratory infection. Lipoprotein metabolism disorder visits continued to increase over the study years. The numbers and proportions of patients with hypertension and unspecified diabetes were higher among men than women, and other cerebrovascular diseases were higher among women than men. The top five disease systems were circulatory system diseases, respiratory system diseases, endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases, factors influencing health status and digestive system diseases. The rankings of respiratory system and endocrine/nutritional/metabolic diseases rose over time. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for approximately 90% of the primary care visits-a much higher percentage than other causes. The top five NCDs in primary care visits were cardiovascular and circulatory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes, digestive diseases and urogenital diseases. Compared with women, men suffered from cardiovascular diseases at an earlier age.

CONCLUSIONS

Different from specialist visits, common diseases, especially NCDs, were the main disease composition of current primary healthcare visits while the former focused on intractable diseases such as tumours, indicating that primary healthcare had played the role of gatekeeper of the healthcare system.

Turnover intention among primary health workers in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To analyse the prevalence and determinants of turnover intention (TI) among primary health workers (PHWs) in China to provide evidence for improving retention measures.

DESIGN

Systemic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Four English-language databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO) and three Chinese databases (CNKI, CSPD, CBM) were searched up to October 2019.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Eligible studies were observational or descriptive studies conducted in mainland China. The prevalence of TI among health workers and related factors had to be explicitly reported in each included study.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Data were extracted by one author and reviewed independently by two other authors. For each factor analysed by a meta-analysis, the factor was required to be the same across different studies, and at least three studies had to include it. The quality of studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and heterogeneity was evaluated using the I² statistic.

RESULTS

We identified 16 cross-sectional studies investigating a total of 37 672 PHWs. The prevalence of TI was 30.4%. Subgroup analysis revealed that the highest prevalence was observed in the community primary healthcare institutions and the eastern provinces of China. Meta-analyses indicated that 21 factors were significantly associated with TI, including demographic factors (gender, age, education, marital status), job characteristic factors (title, work seniority, remuneration, social status, organisational affiliation, work stress) and job satisfaction factors (learning and training opportunity, interpersonal relationship, work condition and environment, and so on).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the problem of TI among PHWs in China. Efforts should be made to improve conditions in both work-related areas and areas outside of work. Policymakers should continue to improve reward systems, the construction of infrastructure and promotion systems, and pay more attention to PHWs' lives outside of work and meet their living needs.