Acute Day Units as Crisis Alternatives to Residential Care (AD-CARE)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Acute Day Units as Crisis Alternatives to Residential Care (AD-CARE)
IRAS ID
201627
Contact name
David Osborn
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6364106/2016/10/57 , UCL Data Protection Registration
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Acute Day Units (ADUs) offer intensive, short term community responses to mental health crises. People using these services will typically have a severe mental health problem, e.g. be experiencing psychosis, suicidal thoughts, severe depression. ADUs aim to reduce costly and unpopular admissions, either avoiding them or facilitating early discharge. Access to an ADU is one recommendation in the 2015 Crisis Care Concordat, but there is a lack of information regarding ADU models of care, effectiveness, place in the acute pathway, and service user acceptability and experience. We aim to address this evidence gap through three work packages: \n\n1) Mapping all existing ADUs in England, and categorising different service models.\n\n2) Case studies of 5 ADUs with contrasting service models, using routine administrative data from information teams, quantitative and qualitative assessments to determine user pathways in and out of the ADU, user/family experience, clinician and service user rated outcome measures, and types of interventions received in the ADU or referred to for ongoing care.\n\n2.1) Comparative cohort study comparing people who receive ADU care and those who do not. We will look at readmission to acute pathway at 6 months and satisfaction with services provided (400 participants using ADUs, 400 participants with no ADU access). \n\n2.2) Qualitative interviews conducted by service user researchers, with 25 users, 15 carers and 15 stakeholder staff, focusing on the value of the ADU in the acute pathway, ADU merits and problems, and likely impact on admission, social exclusion and engagement with other parts of the community post-crisis. \n\n3) Assessment of the impact of ADUs on acute admissions nationally. We will use the Mental Health Minimum Dataset to assess admission rates to acute psychiatric units, as well as rates of compulsory admissions in a one year period. \n\nThis application covers work packages 2.1 and 2.2.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/2160
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jan 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion