Testing and Evaluating a Psychoeducation Tool and Guidelines for Victims of Violence in Belgian Hospitals.
- Conditions
- Enhance Care to Victims of Violence
- Registration Number
- NCT06780540
- Lead Sponsor
- University Hospital, Ghent
- Brief Summary
The "Operation Alert/Operatie Alert/Opération Alerte" project, developed by UGent-ICRH and UZGent with funding from the Belgian Federal Public Service for Health, focuses on strengthening basic competencies to better and more quickly identify signs of violence. It also aims to provide victim-centered care and refer to specialized services when necessary. This initiative combines training for healthcare providers with practical tools, such as a psycho-education tool and clinical guidelines, to enhance care delivery. Below is an overview of the project's main components:
Sub-Study 1: Psycho-education Tool
* Objective: Develop and evaluate a tool to support healthcare providers and patients in understanding and addressing sexual and domestic violence, trauma, and their impacts on well-being.
* Tool Description: A set of cards presented in a calendar format, featuring illustrations on one side and explanatory text on the other.
Target Groups: Healthcare providers and victims/patients.
* Development process: The tool was developed based on literature and input from experts and stakeholders during regular meetings.
* Testing Phase: The tool will undergo a pilot study in selected hospitals and non-profit organizations (NGOs) working with victims of violence.
* Evaluation: The tool's acceptability, usability, and relevance to the recovery process will be assessed through feedback collected via questionnaires from both healthcare providers and victims/patients.
Sub-Study 2: Guidelines Older Adults
* Objective: Develop and implement guidelines for screening violence among older adults and providing appropriate care for victims of various forms of violence (psychological, physical, (socio-)economic, and sexual).
* Tool Description: A guideline that includes a screening protocol, care and referral pathways, and theoretical background on the topic.
* Target Group: Older adults with sufficient cognitive abilities.
* Development Process: The guidelines are informed by a literature review, expert, and stakeholder input through regular meetings and focus groups, and a pilot study involving cognitively capable older adults in the geriatric departments of four hospitals.
* Testing Phase: The screening protocol is integrated into standard care procedures, such as intake interviews or geriatric assessments. It is implemented by multidisciplinary professionals, including physicians, nurses, psychologists, occupational therapists, and social workers.
* Evaluation: Feedback on the guidelines is collected from healthcare providers via questionnaires. Older adults themselves are not directly involved in the evaluation, as the screening protocol is intentionally embedded discreetly within standard care procedures.
Training and Support The project includes a robust training component delivered through educational online modules designed to equip healthcare providers with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively use the tools and guidelines developed.
Languages and Application The study materials and procedures are conducted in both French and Dutch, reflecting Belgium's bilingual context.
Significance This project highlights the importance of tailored support for victims of violence and a systematic approach to care within clinical settings.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 600
Substudy 1: Psycho-education Tool
- Healthcare Providers: In-hospital healthcare providers who used the psycho-education tool during the pilot phase with a victim of violence.
- Victims/Patients: Victims of violence aged 16 years or older who received psycho-education from an in-hospital healthcare provider during the pilot phase.
Substudy 2: Guideline
- Healthcare Providers: In-hospital healthcare providers who used the guideline during the pilot phase with an older adult.
- Older Adults/Patients: Older adults with sufficient cognitive abilities who were admitted to the geriatric department (either for a day clinic or a longer stay).
Substudy 1: Psycho-education tool
- Victims under the age of 16. Substudy 2: Guideline
- Older adults with cognitive impairments.
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Enhanced identification, care, and referral processes for victims of violence. Conducting the psycho-education tool or guideline will not take more than 30 minutes in total. Conduct a pilot study to evaluate a recently developed psycho-education tool and guideline for healthcare providers (Operation Alert study). These tools aim to enhance the delivery of psycho-education to victims of violence and improve the identification of and care for older victims of violence. The tools are evaluated through a self-developed questionnaire based on the theoretical framework of acceptability by Sekhon (2022), assessing 7 constructs: affective attitude, burden, ethicality, intervention coherence, opportunity costs, perceived effectiveness, and self-efficacy.
In substudy 1, healthcare providers complete 11 open-ended questions and demographics, while patients answer 9 closed questions (Likert 1-5) and 10 open-ended ones. In substudy 2, healthcare providers piloting the guideline have to complete 6 open questions, 11 closed questions (Likert 1-5), and demographics. There are also 11 open-ended questions with no obligation to complete.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of the psycho-education tool and guideline in clinical practice. An evaluation is completed after testing the psycho-education tool or guideline and takes approximately 10 minutes. Targeted adjustments and finalization of the psycho-education tool and guidelines can be made based on the feedback obtained from questionnaires of healthcare providers (substudy 1 and 2) and patients/victims (substudy 1).
The tools are evaluated by using a self-developed questionnaire based on the theoretical framework of acceptability (TFA) by Sekhon (2022). The questions comprise seven component constructs: affective attitude, burden, ethicality intervention coherence, opportunity costs, perceived effectiveness and self-efficacy.
The framework presents a generic TFA questionnaire to evaluate the acceptability of interventions from the perspectives of recipients. It can be adapted to assess acceptability of any healthcare intervention. Its development was guided by theory, previous research, and stakeholder input.
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Trial Locations
- Locations (10)
Aditi ASBL/vzw
🇧🇪Antwerpen, Belgium
SOSEnfants Charleroi ASBL
🇧🇪Charleroi, Belgium
Ghent University Hospital
🇧🇪Ghent, Belgium
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège
🇧🇪Liège, Belgium
Vertrouwenscentrum Kindermishandeling Antwerpen
🇧🇪Antwerp, Belgium
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Saint-Pierre
🇧🇪Brussels, Belgium
Vertrouwenscentrum Kindermishandeling Brussel
🇧🇪Brussels, Belgium
SOSEnfants Bruxelles ASBL
🇧🇪Brussels, Belgium
AZ Delta
🇧🇪Roeselare, Belgium
SOSEnfants Namur ASBL
🇧🇪Saint-Servais, Belgium