Abstract
Objective: In this study, we report on participants’ experiences of PARTNER-MH, a peer-led, patient-navigation intervention for racially and ethnically minoritized patients in Veterans Health Administration mental health services aimed at improving patient engagement in care and patient-clinician communication. Participants described their views of PARTNER-MH, barriers and facilitators to the intervention's implementation, and their application of varied intervention concepts to improve engagement in care and communication with their mental health clinicians. Methods: This is a qualitative analysis of the PARTNER-MH pilot randomized controlled trial. Participants participated in semi-structured interviews guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Rapid data analysis approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Participants (n = 13) perceived PARTNER-MH as an acceptable intervention, and viewed use of peers as interventionists, long-term outreach and engagement efforts, and navigation services favorably. Barriers to implementation included limited flexibility in peers’ schedules and lack of peer/participant gender concordance, as well as limited options for program delivery modality. Three main themes summarized participants’ views and perceived benefits of PARTNER-MH that contributed to improved patient-clinician communication: 1) increased patient engagement, 2) improved patient-clinician relationship, and 3) enhanced communication self-efficacy. Conclusions: Participants viewed PARTNER-MH as beneficial and identified several intervention components that contributed to improved engagement in care, communication self-efficacy, and patient-clinician communication. Practice implication: Some patients, especially minoritized patients and those who have been disenfranchised from healthcare systems may benefit from peer-led interventions that facilitate engagement in care and communication self-efficacy to improve patient-clinician communication and healthcare outcomes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04515771.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 107847 |
| Journal | Patient education and counseling |
| Volume | 114 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 2023 |
Funding
This study was funded by a VA HSR&D Career Development Award −2 16–153 to Dr. Eliacin. It also received support from the VA HSR&D Center for Health Information and Communication, the Regenstrief Institute, and the Academy of Communication in Healthcare Putnam Scholars Program. The clinical trial from which this analysis was conducted was supported by a VA HSR&D Career Development Award ( 16−153 ) to Dr. Eliacin This research was also supported by an Academy of Communication in Healthcare Putnam Scholar Fellowship awarded to Dr. Eliacin.
Keywords
- Communication self-efficacy
- Healthcare disparities
- Mental health
- Patient navigation
- Patient-clinician communication
- Peer-led intervention
- Veterans
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine
