Improving safety and quality in mental healthcare
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Understanding the nature of the safety and quality of care problems experienced by service users accessing community-based mental health services: a qualitative study.
IRAS ID
279409
Contact name
Claire Henderson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 0 days
Research summary
Background:
Patient safety incidents are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. So far, existing safety improvement evidence has largely concentrated on physical healthcare. Only a small body of work has been undertaken which studies safety as it applies to mental healthcare, with this research primarily focusing on inpatient mental health hospitals. Mental healthcare is increasingly delivered in community settings, through primary care and secondary care mental health provision, rather than in hospitals. However, less is known about the safety and quality of care problems service users experience in community-based mental healthcare. It is important that safety and quality of care problems in community-based mental health services are better understood, so that care can be improved.Objective:
This research will aim to understand the nature of safety and quality of care problems experienced by adult users of community-based mental healthcare, from the perspective of service users, carers, and healthcare providers. The study will also aim to identifying priority areas and effective practices to improve safety in these settings.Method:
Individual in-depth interviews or focus groups will be held with service users, carers, and frontline healthcare providers employed within appropriate community-based mental healthcare settings. Interviews or focus groups will last for approximately one hour and will be carried out face-to-face or via secure videoconferencing technology (e.g. Microsoft Teams), depending on up-to-date guidance relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. These will be audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts will be analysed using thematic analysis, with themes developed, defined, and revised throughout the analysis process.REC name
Wales REC 7
REC reference
21/WA/0060
Date of REC Opinion
2 Mar 2021
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion