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Improving Patient-Provider Communication to Reduce Mental Health Disparities

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Healthcare Disparities
Mental Health
Interventions
Behavioral: PARTNER-MH
Registration Number
NCT04515771
Lead Sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development
Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to develop a program to reduce mental health disparities for racial and ethnic minority Veterans. The research program is led by VA peer navigators who are trained specifically to deliver the study intervention. The specific aims of the program are to enhance navigation of mental health services, increase patient engagement, and improve patient-provider communication.

Study participants will be randomized into one of two study groups, which will determine when they receive the study intervention. Regardless of study group, participants will have the opportunity to receive services in addition to their regular mental health treatment (either immediately after enrollment into the study or after a 6-month waiting period).

Participants will be asked to complete study questionnaires at different timepoints throughout the study to assess their overall satisfaction with the study program and the mental health services that they receive. Participants will also complete an interview to discuss their experience in the study program.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
50
Inclusion Criteria

To be eligible:

  • Must be a Veteran belonging to a racial/ethnic minority group
  • Must be actively receiving mental health care in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic at Veteran Health Indiana (Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center)
  • Must have started receiving mental health care as a new patient in the Outpatient Mental Health within 12 months prior to enrollment into the study
Exclusion Criteria

Not eligible if:

  • Is a Veteran not belonging to a racial/ethnic minority group
  • Not actively receiving mental health care in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic at Veteran Health Indiana (Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center)
  • Started receiving mental health care as a new patient in the Outpatient Mental Health outside of the 12-month window

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Active PARTNER-MHPARTNER-MHParticipants in this arm received the intervention immediately after study enrollment. They continued to receive usual mental health services in addition to intervention.
Waitlist ControlPARTNER-MHThe waitlist control arm participants received usual mental health services. They were offered to receive the intervention after the 6-month wait period.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Patient Activation Measure- Mental Health (PAM-MH)Change from Baseline to 6 months

Measure Description: The PAM-MH is a 13-item questionnaire that measures an individual's perceived ability to manage illness and health behaviors. The questions are rated on a 4-point Likert-type scale (1= strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=agree, 4=strongly agree). Scores are then converted using Rasch analysis to a 100-point scale. Raw scores range from 13 to 52 and converted activation scores range from 0-100. Higher activation scores indicate higher level of patient activation.

Altarum Consumer Engagement (ACE) ChangeChange from Baseline to 6 months

The ACE is administered as a 5-level Likert scale. The subscale scores range from 5 to 25, and the total engagement score is computed by adding the 3 subscale scores and multiplying the sum by 4/3 to obtain a possible range score of 20 to 100. Higher scores represent higher patient engagement.

SDM-Q9 PARTNER-MHChange from Baseline to 6 months

The SDM-Q9 PARTNER-MH was adapted from Braddock et al.'s SDM-Q-9 informed decision-making scale. The original, validated scale, the SDM-Q-9, has 9 items measured on a 6-point Likert Scale, ranging from 0=completely disagree to 5=completely agree. The total score is calculated by summing the scores of the nine items, range from 0 to 45. A higher score indicates a greater level of perceived SDM.

Peer Coaching Experience Satisfaction QuestionnaireAdministered after completion of the study program (6 months for Active PARTNER-MH )

Peer Coaching Experience Satisfaction Questionnaire is designed to collect feedback on a respondent's overall experience with a peer coach at the end of a 6-month period. Only participants in active PARTNER-MH were administered this questionnaire. This questionnaire was developed for the study. Question 1: Overall, how satisfied are you with PARTNER-MH program? Question 2: How satisfied are you with your assigned peer. Answers are rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 (very satisfied) to 5 (very dissatisfied).

Trust and Satisfaction Survey Responses ChangeChange from Baseline to 6 months

The Trust and Satisfaction Survey is a 5-item scale which assess a respondent's degree of trust toward the VA, VA mental health care services, and the study program. Respondents are asked to rate how much they agree with each of the 5 items. Items are rated on a scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The survey yields final scores ranging from 5 (minimum) to 25 (maximum) with higher scores representing greater trust and satisfaction. No subscale.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Veteran's RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12) ChangeChange from Baseline to 6 months

The Veterans Rand 12-item Health Survey (VR-12) is a 12-item scale that assesses Veterans' report of health-related quality of life. It measures mental and physical functioning. The VR-12 uses five-point ordinal response choices and provides two scores: the Physical Component Summary Score and the Mental Health Summary Score, ranging from 0 to 100. VR-12 scores are standardized using a T-score metric with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. The scores are compared to the population average, measured in standard deviations. The United States population average PCS and MCS are 50 points each. The United States population standard deviation is 10 points. Higher scores indicate better self-reported health. Lower VR-12 MCS scores indicate worse psychological distress/functioning. Clinically significant scores vary based on the condition or disease population.

Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions Scale (PEPPI-5) ChangeChange from Baseline to 6 months

The Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions Scale (PEPPI-5) is 5-item scale rated on a 10-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not confident at all) to 10 (very confident) and the total score, which is the sum of all item ratings, range from 0 (minimum) to 50 (maximum). Higher scores indicate higher levels of self-efficacy. There is no subscale.

Working Alliance Inventory Short-Revised (WAI-SR) ChangeChange from Baseline to 6 months

Working Alliance Inventory -Short Revised (WAI-SR) evaluates key aspects of the therapeutic alliance between patients and their mental health providers. It includes 12 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1= seldom to 5= always. The WAI-SR has 3 subscales: The Goal, Task, and Bond subscales each have 4 items and scores ranging from 4 to 20. For research purposes, use of the overall mean scores of the WAI-SR rather than its subscales have been recommended. The scale total scores range from 12 (minimum) to 60 (maximum). Higher scores indicate higher level of working alliance. There is no cut off score for this scale.

UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6) ChangeChange from Baseline to 6 months

The UCLA Loneliness Scale Short Form, (ULS-6), is a 6-item scale that assesses loneliness and is rated on a 4-point Likert Scale, ranging from 1=never to 4= often. The scale has a total summed score ranging from 6 (minimum) to 24 (maximum), with higher scores indicate higher level of loneliness.

Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) ChangeChange from Baseline to 6 months

Measure Description: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) measures severity of depressive symptoms. It includes 9 items, ranging in scores from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate more severe symptoms of depression.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

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