Improving Collaborative Management of Multiple Mental and Physical Health Conditions: A Qualitative Inquiry into...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Digital Health
• Mental Health Integration

Background:

• Multiple chronic conditions (MCC) complicate collaborative healthcare planning, especially with co-occurring anxiety or depression.
• Eliciting patient values can align priorities in primary care and psychotherapy but these processes are often siloed.
• Technology-enabled services (TESs) offer potential to bridge care settings for values elicitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient preferences for TESs to coordinate values elicitation across primary and mental health care.
• To understand factors influencing patient preferences for different modes of values elicitation.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative interview study with patients experiencing MCC.
• Exploration of preferences for face-to-face, telehealth, and self-directed values elicitation.
• Analysis of patient perceptions regarding rationale, facilitator credibility, and self-capacity.

Main Results:

• Patient preferences for values elicitation varied, with some favoring in-person sessions with mental health clinicians, others telehealth, and some self-directed methods.
• Preferences were influenced by perceived benefits, facilitator credibility, and patient's capacity to engage.
• Significant concerns regarding TESs for values elicitation were raised, requiring careful consideration.

Conclusions:

• Integrating values elicitation across primary and mental health care using TESs requires understanding diverse patient preferences.
• Tailoring TESs to patient perceptions of benefits, facilitators, and self-efficacy is crucial for successful implementation.
• Further research is needed to address patient concerns and optimize TES design for values elicitation in MCC populations.