A lowered threshold to partnerships: a mixed methods process evaluation of participants' experiences of a person-centred eHealth intervention

Matilda Cederberg; Emmelie Barenfeld; Lilas Ali; Inger Ekman; Anneli Goulding; Andreas Fors

doi:10.1186/s12913-023-10190-7

A lowered threshold to partnerships: a mixed methods process evaluation of participants' experiences of a person-centred eHealth intervention

BMC Health Serv Res. 2023 Nov 2;23(1):1193. doi: 10.1186/s12913-023-10190-7.

Authors

Matilda Cederberg^{1

2

3}, Emmelie Barenfeld^{4

5

6}, Lilas Ali^{4

5

7}, Inger Ekman^{4

5

8}, Anneli Goulding^{9

10}, Andreas Fors^{4

5

11}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 457, Gothenburg, 405 30, Sweden. matilda.cederberg@gu.se.
² Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. matilda.cederberg@gu.se.
³ Psychosis Clinic, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. matilda.cederberg@gu.se.
⁴ Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 457, Gothenburg, 405 30, Sweden.
⁵ Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁶ Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Section of Health and Rehabilitation, Occupational therapy, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁸ Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital Östra, Gothenburg, Sweden.
⁹ Psychosis Clinic, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
¹¹ Education, Development and Innovation, Region Västra Götaland, Primary Health Care, Research, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

Background: In order to understand pathways of complex interventions, the Medical Research Council has suggested that process evaluations should be conducted alongside randomised controlled trials (RCTs). This paper presents a mixed methods process evaluation of a complex, person-centred eHealth intervention for persons on sick leave with common mental disorders.

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore participants' experiences of a person-centred eHealth intervention and illuminate meaningful activities and processes.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the intervention arm of an RCT (n = 102). Questionnaires on perceived meaningfulness of the overall intervention and intervention activities were sent to participants on two occasions, after 3 and 6 months, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample of 15 participants in the intervention group. Questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and interview data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The quantitative and qualitative data strands were integrated at interpretation.

Results: At both follow-ups, a majority of participants reported that the intervention was fully or partly meaningful and that the most meaningful activity was the phone calls with health care professionals working in the intervention. In the qualitative analysis, three categories describing participants' experiences of the intervention were formed: Acknowledgment in a disconcerting situation, Finding ways forward and Unmet expectations. A synthesis of quantitative and qualitative findings resulted in the overarching theme of meaningfulness as constituted by a lowered threshold to partnerships: support within reach, when needed.

Conclusion: Experiences of meaningfulness of the intervention were constituted by a lowered threshold to forming care partnerships, in which support was within reach, when needed. If the content of the intervention was not in accordance with individuals' needs or expectations, access alone did not suffice to constitute meaningfulness.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03404583; 19/01/2018.

Keywords: Mixed methods; Person-centred care; Process evaluation; eHealth.

MeSH terms

Humans
Mental Disorders* / therapy
Telemedicine* / methods

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03404583