Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T22:37:16.742Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A qualitative study of clinicians’ experiences and attitudes towards telephone triage mental health assessments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2014

Elizabeth A. Jones ,
Hazell L. Bale  and
Tirma Morera
Elizabeth A. Jones
Affiliation:
Southwark Psychological Therapies Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
Hazell L. Bale*
Affiliation:
School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Tirma Morera
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
*
*Author for correspondence: Mrs H. L. Bale, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK (email: s1370089@sms.ed.ac.uk).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated clinicians’ experiences and attitudes towards conducting mental health assessments over the telephone in an IAPT service. Nine participants completed a semi-structured questionnaire and data were evaluated using a Thematic Analysis model. Participants were largely apprehensive about telephone working, but many reported positive experiences. Telephone assessments were felt to be structured, focused and comprehensive, and therapeutic rapport was able to be established. However, concerns persisted around whether risk assessments could be adequately conducted over the telephone. Reports of spontaneous feedback from patients during telephone triage suggested that there was appreciation for this method of assessment and that it increased access to the service. Further research is needed to better understand what, for clinicians, contributes to acceptable assessment of complex and subjective situations, such as risk and feeling states, over the telephone.

Keywords

Anxietydepressionpractitioner surveyprimary caresubjective assessmenttherapeutic alliance
Type
Original Research
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 6 , 2013 , e17
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Follow-up reading

Bee, PE, Lovell, K, Lidbetter, N, Easton, K, Gask, L (2010). You can't get anything perfect: user perspectives on the delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy by telephone. Social Science & Medicine 71, 1308–1315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLaren, P (2005). Information and communications technology in mental health care. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 98, 232–234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

References

Bee, PE, Bower, P, Lovell, K, Gilbody, S, Richards, D, Gask, L, Roach, P (2008). Psychotherapy mediated by remote communication technologies: a meta-analytic review. BMC Psychiatry 8, 60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bee, PE, Lovell, K, Lidbetter, N, Easton, K, Gask, L (2010). You can't get anything perfect: user perspectives on the delivery of cognitive behavioural therapy by telephone. Social Science & Medicine 71, 1308–1315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bower, P, Gilbody, S (2005). Stepped care in psychological therapies: access, effectiveness and efficiency. Narrative literature review. British Journal of Psychiatry 186, 11–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Braun, V, Clarke, V (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, 77–101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grayer, J, Cape, J, Orpwood, L, Leibowitz, J, Buszewicz, M (2008). Facilitating access to voluntary and community services for patients with psychosocial problems: a before-after evaluation. BMC Family Practice 9, 27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hammond, GC, Croudace, TJ, Radhakrishnan, M, Lafortune, L, Watson, A, McMillan-Shields, F, Jones, PB (2012). Comparative effectiveness of cognitive therapies delivered face-to-face or over the telephone: an observational study using propensity methods. (http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0042916). Accessed 13 November 2012.Google Scholar
Kevin, J (2002). An evaluation of telephone triage in mental health nursing. Advances in Mental Health 1, 26–37.Google Scholar
Lovell, K, Cox, D, Haddock, G, Jones, C, Raines, D, Garvey, R, Roberts, C, Hadley, S (2006). Telephone administered cognitive behaviour therapy for treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder: randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. British Medical Journal 333, 833.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
May, C, Gask, L, Ellis, N, Mair, F, Smith, C, Pidd, S, Esmail, A (2000). Telepsychiatry evaluation in the north-west of England: preliminary results of a qualitative study. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare 6, 20–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLaren, P (2005). Information and communications technology in mental health care. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 98, 232–234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mead, GE, MacDonald, W, Bower, P, Lovell, K, Richards, D, Roberts, C, Bucknall, A (2005). The clinical effectiveness of guided self-help versus waiting-list control in the management of anxiety and depression: a randomized controlled trial. Psychological Medicine 35, 1633–1643.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
NICE (2011). Common mental health disorders: identification and pathways to care (CG 123)(http://publications.nice.org.uk/common-mental-health-disorders-cg123). National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Accessed 20 December 2012.Google Scholar
Richards, D, Whyte, M (2008). Reach Out. National Programme Student Materials to Support the Delivery of Training for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners Delivering Low Intensity Interventions. London: Rethink Mental Health.Google Scholar
Short, J, Williams, E, Christie, B (1976). The Social Psychology of telecommunications. Bath: Pitman Press.Google Scholar
Simon, GE, Ludman, EJ, Tutty, S, Operskalski, B, Von Korff, M (2004). Telephone psychotherapy and telephone care management for primary care patients starting antidepressant treatment. A randomized controlled trial. Journal of the American Medical Association 292, 935–942.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Toon, PD (2002). Using telephones in primary care. British Medical Journal 324, 1230–1231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wagnild, G, Leenknecht, C, Zauher, J (2006). Psychiatrists’ satisfaction with telepsychiatry. Tele-medicine Journal and e-Health 12, 546–551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Werner, P (2004). Willingness to use telemedicine for psychiatric care. Telemedicine Journal and e-Health 10, 286–293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wright, JH, Basco, MR, Thase, ME (2005). Learning Cognitive-Behaviour Therapy: An Illustrated Guide. Washington: American Psychiatric Publishing.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.