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Psychosocial Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Acute Hospitals

Completed
Conditions
COVID-19 Related Psychosocial Burden
Covid-19
Registration Number
NCT04753242
Lead Sponsor
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
Brief Summary

Heads of all psychosomatic, psychiatric and psychological consultation and liaison (C\&L) services in acute care hospitals across all participating countries will be contacted and asked to participate in this international cross-sectional online survey. The survey consists of questions about care structures and their utilisation that psychosomatic, psychiatric and psychological C\&L services have established in acute hospitals in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Detailed Description

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic raised new challenges in supporting patients, relatives and staff for psychosomatic, psychiatric and psychological C\&L services in general hospitals worldwide. It is intended to build upon the experience gained so far in order to be well prepared for the future.

Objectives:

The aims of this international online survey are

1. To summarize the efforts made in psychosocial care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. To assess the experiences made with the established services so far.

3. To assess the need for networking, cooperation and support.

4. Improvement of psychosocial care in acute hospitals in the context of pandemics.

Study Design:

This health services research project will be carried out as an observational study in the form of an international cross-sectional online survey.

There will be one survey time point. Study reporting will follow the STROBE Statement (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology).

Ethic approval:

In all participating countries the respective ethics committees were informed about the survey and it was checked with them, how far and what kind of country-specific vote of an ethics committee was necessary. Written statements, declarations or votes were obtained from all participating countries.

Setting:

The heads of all psychosomatic, psychiatric and psychological C\&L services in acute care hospitals across all participating countries are contacted and asked to participate. Contact is made via the respective national professional societies and relevant working and interest groups.

Participants This study is an international online survey with psychosomatic, psychiatric and psychological C\&L services from 14 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom) as well as parts of Canada (Quebec and Ontario region) and Iran participating.

Country specific regions:

The national coordinators of the participating country provided lists of specific regions for their respective country following the NUTS logic (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomenclature_of_Territorial_Units_for_Statistics), preferably a NUTS level that leads to 5 - 20 NUTS for each country.

Online survey questionnaire:

Self-developed questionnaire based on relevant literature, own experience and consultation with participating professional societies. The survey contains 25 questions on structural and process variables regarding characterization of the participating C\&L services, involvement of the respective hospitals in the physical care of COVID-19 patients, structures / organization of psychosocial care for COVID-19 patients in the participating hospitals, specific psychosocial support for patients, relatives and staff established in the participating hospital in the context of COVID-19, communication - How the different target groups were informed about the COVID-19 related psychosocial support services and offers, burden of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychosocial C\&L teams, needs and wishes for the future.

The study questionnaire was translated by a professional company from German into English, French and Italian. Language harmonization and cultural adaptation followed a modified committee-based approach informed by the European Social Survey (ESS) Round 9 Translation Guidelines. Participants are free to choose the language version to be worked on.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
230
Inclusion Criteria
  • heads of all psychosomatic, psychiatric and psychological C&L services in acute care hospitals across all participating countries
Exclusion Criteria
  • None

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Structural and process quality of COVID-19 related psychosocial C&L services6 months

Data basis for improving quality of COVID-19 related psychosocial C\&L services:

1. characterization of participating C\&L services

2. involvement of respective hospitals in the physical care of COVID-19 patients

3. structures/ organization of psychosocial care for COVID-19 patients in participating hospitals

4. specific psychosocial support established in participating hospitals in context of COVID-19 for

1. patients

2. relatives

3. staff

5. communication strategies - How the different target groups were informed about COVID-19 related psychosocial support services and offers

6. burden of COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial C\&L teams

7. needs and wishes of the participating psychosocial C\&L services

1. for support or exchange of experience regarding psychosocial care in the COVID 19 context

2. for changes / improvements considered essential for the future with regard to psychosocial care services in the participating hospitals in the COVID-19 context

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod

Trial Locations

Locations (22)

Wroclaw Medical University

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ

Wroclaw, Poland

Universidade Catรณlica Portuguesa Lisboa

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น

Lisboa, Portugal

Barcelona University

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ

Barcelona, Spain

Ghent University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry

๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ช

Ghent, Belgium

Medical University of Graz, University Hospital Graz

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น

Graz, Steiermark, Austria

University of Montreal, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ

Montreal, Canada

TorontoSinai Health, University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ

Toronto, Canada

Universitรฉ de Paris, Service de Psychiatrie de l'adulte

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท

Paris, France

Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ฎ

Oulu, Finland

University College Dublin

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช

Dublin, Ireland

Nuremberg Hospital, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช

Nรผrnberg, Bayern, Germany

University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช

Kรถln, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

University of Medical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ท

Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of

Aristotle University Thessaloniki

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ท

Thessaloniki, Greece

University of Modena & Reggio Emilia

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น

Modena, Italy

Bologna University

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น

Bologna, Italy

Oslo University Hospital

๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ด

Oslo, Norway

Hospital de Santa Maria

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น

Lisboa, Portugal

University of Exeter

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง

Exeter, United Kingdom

University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK)

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ

Basel, Switzerland

University Hospital Basel, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ

Basel, Basel-City, Switzerland

University of York

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง

York, United Kingdom

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