Psychosocial Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Acute Hospitals

Covid-19 Clinical Trial

Official title:

Psychosocial Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Acute Hospitals - an International Online Survey of Psychosomatic, Psychiatric and Psychological Consultation and Liaison (C&L) Services

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04753242
• Other study ID #: Req-2020-00861; th21Schaefert
• Status: Completed
• Start date: December 8, 2020
• Est. completion date: October 3, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: October 2021
• Source: University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Observational

Clinical Trial 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.

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 information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 230
• Est. completion date: October 3, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: October 3, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years and older

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• heads of all psychosomatic, psychiatric and psychological C&L services in acute care hospitals across all participating countries

Exclusion Criteria:

• None

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Covid-19
• COVID-19 Related Psychosocial Burden

Intervention

Other:
• 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 psychosocial care structures that psychosocial C&L services have established in acute hospitals in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation and use of COVID-19-related services for patients, relatives and staff, special challenges, as well as needs and wishes for the future. Thereby the survey is aiming at the creation of a data basis for improving the structural and process quality of psychosocial care services through psychosocial C&L services in the context of pandemics, especially the COVID-19 pandemic.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Austria	Medical University of Graz, University Hospital Graz	Graz	Steiermark
Belgium	Ghent University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry	Ghent
Canada	University of Montreal, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine	Montreal
Canada	TorontoSinai Health, University of Toronto, Department of Psychiatry	Toronto
Finland	Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu	Oulu
France	Université de Paris, Service de Psychiatrie de l'adulte	Paris
Germany	University Hospital Cologne, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy	Köln	Nordrhein-Westfalen
Germany	Nuremberg Hospital, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy	Nürnberg	Bayern
Greece	Aristotle University Thessaloniki	Thessaloniki
Iran, Islamic Republic of	University of Medical Sciences, Department of Psychiatry	Tehran
Ireland	University College Dublin	Dublin
Italy	Bologna University	Bologna
Italy	University of Modena & Reggio Emilia	Modena
Norway	Oslo University Hospital	Oslo
Poland	Wroclaw Medical University	Wroclaw
Portugal	Hospital de Santa Maria	Lisboa
Portugal	Universidade Católica Portuguesa Lisboa	Lisboa
Spain	Barcelona University	Barcelona
Switzerland	University Hospital Basel, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine	Basel	Basel-City
Switzerland	University of Basel, Department of Psychiatry (UPK)	Basel
United Kingdom	University of Exeter	Exeter
United Kingdom	University of York	York

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University Hospital, Basel, Switzerland

Countries where clinical trial is conducted

Austria,  Belgium,  Canada,  Finland,  France,  Germany,  Greece,  Iran, Islamic Republic of,  Ireland,  Italy,  Norway,  Poland,  Portugal,  Spain,  Switzerland,  United Kingdom, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Structural and process quality of COVID-19 related psychosocial C&L services	Data basis for improving quality of COVID-19 related psychosocial C&L services: characterization of participating C&L services; involvement of respective hospitals in the physical care of COVID-19 patients; structures/ organization of psychosocial care for COVID-19 patients in participating hospitals; specific psychosocial support established in participating hospitals in context of COVID-19 for; patients; relatives; staff; communication strategies - How the different target groups were informed about COVID-19 related psychosocial support services and offers; burden of COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial C&L teams; needs and wishes of the participating psychosocial C&L services; for support or exchange of experience regarding psychosocial care in the COVID 19 context; for changes / improvements considered essential for the future with regard to psychosocial care services in the participating hospitals in the COVID-19 context	6 months