Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach to Optimize the Task-shared Mental Health Treatment Cascade (SAIA-MH)

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Mental Health Disorder
• Interventions: Behavioral: Attentional Placebo Control; Behavioral: Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach for Mental Health (SAIA-MH)

• Registration Number: NCT05103033
• Lead Sponsor: University of Washington

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of a multicomponent implementation strategy entitled the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach for mental health (SAIA-M) using a cluster randomized trial at the health facility level. SAIA-MH focuses on improving the mental health treatment cascade in primary outpatient mental healthcare. The mental health treatment cascade is a model that outlines the sequential, linked treatment steps that people with mental illness must navigate, from initial diagnosis to symptom/function improvement.

This study will also assess the potential mechanisms by which the SAIA-MH implementation strategy works, or does not work, along with the cost and effectiveness of scaling-up SAIA-MH in Mozambique.

Detailed Description

Due to a shortage of 1.2 million mental health (MH) workers across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), academic and policy leaders have advocated scaling-up task-sharing to lower-level providers to close the mental health care gap, which exceeds 90% in many LMICs. While task-sharing may increase access to care, limited attention has been paid to quality of care provided by lower-level providers. Task-shared outpatient management of mental health in Mozambique has shown low rates of retention in care (40%), medication adherence (\<15%), and proportion of patients achieving function improvement (\<5%). Similarly high rates of loss-to-follow-up, poor adherence, and poor patient outcomes have been reported across other LMICs. To our knowledge, there are no evidence-based implementation strategies targeting optimization of the MH treatment cascade in low-resource settings. This is an urgent need for the field of MH care delivery globally.

The MH treatment cascade is a model that outlines the sequential, linked treatment steps that people with mental illness must navigate, from initial diagnosis to symptom/function improvement. Quality problems in one step of a treatment cascade can have non-linear and compounding impacts across the larger complex care system. Implementation strategies focused on only one step in a cascade can potentially contribute to unintended system bottlenecks and quality of care issues. By contrast, the "Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA)" is a multicomponent implementation strategy focused on optimizing an entire treatment cascade. SAIA blends facilitation, enhanced local clinical consultation, and the creation of facility-level learning collaboratives with systems-engineering tools in a 5-step approach specifically developed for task-shared providers, which include: (1) cascade analysis to visualize treatment cascade drop-offs and prioritize areas for system improvements; (2) process mapping to identify modifiable facility-level bottlenecks; (3) identification and implementation of modifications to improve system performance; (4) assessment of modification effects on the cascade; and (5) repeated analysis and improvement cycles. A previous cluster RCT established effectiveness of SAIA for HIV treatment cascade improvement (R01HD075057; PI: Sherr). However, no effectiveness data exist on SAIA applied to other complex treatment cascades - such as task-shared MH care. Preliminary data suggest that applying SAIA to MH treatment cascade optimization (SAIA-MH; R21MH113691; PI: Wagenaar) is feasible, acceptable, and can result in clinically-significant treatment cascade improvements; Five months of SAIA-MH implementation resulted in a 1.5-fold increase in medication adherence (aOR: 1.5; CI: 1.2, 1.9) and a 3.7-fold increase in function improvement (aOR: 3.7; CI: 2.5, 5.4). These data suggest that SAIA-MH is a promising strategy for task-shared MH systems improvement globally. Our specific aims are to:

Primary Aim 1: Test the effectiveness of the SAIA-MH strategy using a pragmatic cluster RCT design and assess determinants of implementation success. The investigators will implement SAIA-MH using a 3-year parallel cluster RCT across 8 intervention and 8 attentional control facilities and evaluate effects on mental health function improvement (primary) and retention / medication adherence (secondary). Two years of study implementation will be followed by a 1-year maintenance phase to examine routine fidelity and sustainability. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) will be used to assess determinants of implementation success.

Secondary Aim 1: Test causal pathway models to analyze mechanisms of action for effects (or non-effects) of the SAIA-MH implementation strategy. Using 3-years of monthly data on strategy-mechanism linkages, moderators, preconditions, and outcomes for the full 8 intervention and 8 attentional control facilities, the investigators will examine causal pathway effect estimates using longitudinal structural equation modeling. Qualitative CFIR data from Primary Aim 1 will contextualize quantitative path analyses.

Specific Aim 2: Estimate the cost and cost-effectiveness of scaling-up SAIA-MH in Mozambique. The investigators will conduct micro-costing and time-and-motion observation of the SAIA-MH RCT to estimate costs of implementing the intervention. The investigators will construct a Markov model parameterized with cost and outcome data from the SAIA-MH RCT to project budget impact and cost-effectiveness for SAIA-MH scale-up to provincial and national levels.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-10-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-10-20
• Study First Posted: 2021-11-02
• Study Start: 2022-03-14
• Status Verified: 2024-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-12-04
• Last Update Posted: 2024-12-05
• Primary Completion: 2026-02-28
• Study Completion: 2026-02-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 155

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

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Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Attentional Placebo Control	Attentional Placebo Control	Control facilities will mimic activities of the intervention group in time and contacts, but without the "active ingredient" of the SAIA-MH implementation strategy
Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) for mental health	Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach for Mental Health (SAIA-MH)	Those receiving SAIA-MH will attend a 1-week in-person training for facility learning collaboratives. Following the 1-week in-person training, SAIA-MH standard operating procedures will be implemented, including: (1) structured internal/external facilitation following tablet-based guides used in pilot study (1x per week first month; 2x per week for next two months; 1x per month for remainder); (2) facilitation in the 5-step SAIA-MH improvement process.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patient Function Improvement	data collection will occur over 6 months baseline, 24-month intervention and 12-month sustainment period	Patient function improvement is evaluated for all patients diagnosed with a mental disorder, prescribed a medication, given a follow-up date, and who return at least once. All patients diagnosed with a mental disorder in target clinics will have function improvement measured by the WHODAS 2.0 at each clinic visit.; Improvement will be determined as patients with at least 1 follow-up visits who score less than or equal to 10 on the WHODAS 2.0 or have a 50% reduction in their baseline WHODAS 2.0 score.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patient Retention	data collection will occur over 6 months baseline, 24-month intervention and 12-month sustainment period	Patient retention is evaluated for all patients diagnosed with a mental disorder, prescribed a medication, given a follow-up date, and who return at least once. This outcome evaluates whether these individuals returned for their scheduled follow-up visit in less than or equal to 30 days.
Patient Medication Adherence	data collection will occur over 6 months baseline, 24-month intervention and 12-month sustainment period	Medication adherence is evaluated for all patients diagnosed with a mental disorder, prescribed a medication, given a follow-up date, and who return at least once. These patients are considered to have potentially achieved medication adherence if they return for their follow-up visit and medication refill in less days than they had pills dispensed at their previous visit.

Trial Locations

Locations (16)

Urban Health Center Mascarenhas; 🇲🇿 Beira, Sofala, Mozambique

District Hospital Catandica; 🇲🇿 Catandica, Manica, Mozambique

Urban Health Center Nhamaonha; 🇲🇿 Chimoio, Manica, Mozambique

Urban Health Center Chingussura; 🇲🇿 Beira, Sofala, Mozambique

Urban Health Center Vila Nova; 🇲🇿 Chimoio, Manica, Mozambique

District Hospital Gondola; 🇲🇿 Gondola, Manica, Mozambique

Urban Health Center Inhamizua; 🇲🇿 Beira, Sofala, Mozambique

Rural Health Center Sussundenga Sede; 🇲🇿 Sussundenga, Manica, Mozambique

Rural Health Center Vanduzi; 🇲🇿 Vanduzi, Manica, Mozambique

Rural Health Center Macate; 🇲🇿 Macate, Manica, Mozambique

Urban Health Center Macurungo; 🇲🇿 Beira, Sofala, Mozambique

Hospital Muxúngue; 🇲🇿 Chibabava, Sofala, Mozambique

Rural Health Center Mafambisse; 🇲🇿 Dondo, Sofala, Mozambique

District Hospital Manica; 🇲🇿 Manica, Mozambique

Urban Health Center Dondo Sede; 🇲🇿 Dondo, Sofala, Mozambique

Rural Hospital Nhamatanda; 🇲🇿 Nhamatanda, Sofala, Mozambique