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Goal: Efficient patient flow is critical at Tampa General Hospital (TGH), a large academic tertiary care center and safety net hospital with more than 50,000 discharges and 30,000 surgical procedures per year. TGH collaborated with GE HealthCare Command Center to build a command center (called CareComm) with real-time artificial intelligence (AI) applications, known as tiles, to dynamically streamline patient care operations and throughput. To facilitate patient flow for our neuroscience service line, we partnered with the GE HealthCare Command Center team to configure a Downgrade Readiness Tile (DRT) to expedite patient transfers out of the neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU) and reduce their length of stay (LOS). Methods: As part of an integrated NSICU performance improvement project, our LOS reduction workgroup identified the admission/discharge and transfer process as key metrics. Based on a 90%-plus average capacity, early identification of patients eligible for a downgrade to lower acuity units is critical to maintain flow from the operating rooms and emergency department. Our group identified clinical factors consistent with downgrade readiness as well as barriers preventing transition to the next phase of care. Configuration of an AI-powered model was identified as a mechanism to drive earlier downgrade and reduce LOS in the NSICU. A multidisciplinary ICU LOS reduction steering committee met to determine the criteria, design, and implementation of the AI-powered DRT. As opposed to identifying traditional clinical factors associated with stability for transfer, our working group asked, \"What are clinical barriers preventing downgrade?\" We identified more than 76 clinical elements from the electronic medical records that are programmed and displayed in real-time with a desired accuracy of over 95%. If no criteria are present, and no bed is requested or assigned, the DRT will report potential readiness for transfer. If three or more criteria are present, the DRT will suggest that the patient is not eligible for transfer. Principal Findings: The DRT was implemented in January 2022 and is used during multidisciplinary rounds (MDRs) and displayed on monitors positioned throughout the NSICU. During MDRs, the bedside nurses present each patient's key information in a standardized manner, after which the DRT is used to recommend or oppose patient transfer. Six months postimplementation period of the DRT and MDRs, the NSICU has seen a 7% or roughly eight-hour reduction in the ICU length of stay (4.15-3.88 days) with a more than three-hour earlier placement of a transfer order. Unplanned returns to the ICU (or bouncebacks) have remained low with no change in the preimplementation rate of 3% within 24 hours. As a result of this success, DRTs are being implemented in the medical ICUs. Practical Applications: This work is uniquely innovative as it shows AI can be integrated into traditional interdisciplinary rounds and enable accelerated decision-making, continuous monitoring, and real-time alerts. ICU throughput has traditionally relied on direct review of a patient's clinical course executed during clinical rounds. Our methodology adds a dynamic and technologically augmented touchpoint that is available in real time and can prompt a transfer request at any time throughout the day.

Last July I went on holiday to Shetland, to photograph the amazing wildlife it has to offer. The talented Richard Shucksmith had won Bird Photographer of the Year that year with his underwater gannets image, and I was in awe of what he was showing the world--a never-before-seen view underneath the water. I met up with Richard in Shetland: I had organised for him to be my guide to get a unique experience of Shetland's wildlife, including the gannets. One day I went out on his RIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat), which the gannets are used to diving around. Richard kindly let me hire his camera equipment for the afternoon, as underwater photography is something I had always wanted to do more of but didn't have the equipment.

Objective To explore health care providers’ views on the acceptability and feasibility of two models for integrating facility-based counsellor delivered mental health counselling into chronic disease care, and how such an approach could be improved in South Africa. Methods Fourteen focus group discussions and 25 in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 109 health care workers and facility managers from 24 primary health clinics in the Western Cape, South Africa. Results Findings suggested that despite recent efforts to integrate mental health counselling into chronic disease services for common mental disorders, there remains limited availability of psychosocial and psychological counselling. Feedback on the two models of integration suggested equipoise and the potential of a hybrid approach where these approaches may be tailored to the specific needs and available resources of each facility. Participants identified constraints within the health system and broader social context that require consideration for integrating mental health counselling into chronic disease care. Conclusion Although study participants unanimously agreed that counselling for common mental disorders should be integrated into chronic disease services, they had differing views on the type of model that should be adopted. There is a need for further testing of the two models and aspects of the health service that may require strengthening to implement any such model.

Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly providing task-shared psychological interventions for depression and alcohol use in primary health care in low-income and middle-income countries. We aimed to compare the effectiveness of CHWs dedicated to deliver care with CHWs designated to deliver care over and above their existing responsibilities and with treatment as usual for patients with a chronic physical disease. We did a three-arm, cluster randomised, multicentre, open-label trial done in 24 primary health-care clinics (clusters) within the Western Cape province of South Africa. Clinics were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to implement dedicated care, designated care, or treatment as usual, stratified by urban–rural status. Patients with HIV or type 1 or type 2 diabetes were eligible if they were 18 years old or older, taking antiretroviral therapy for HIV or medication to manage their diabetes, had an Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score of eight or more or a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score of 16 or more, and were not receiving mental health treatment. In the intervention arms, all participants were offered three sessions of an evidence-based psychological intervention, based on motivational interviewing and problem-solving therapy, delivered by CHWs. Our primary outcomes were depression symptom severity and alcohol use severity, which we assessed separately for the intention-to-treat populations of people with HIV and people with diabetes cohorts and in a pooled cohort, at 12 months after enrolment. The Benjamini-Hochberg procedure was used to adjust for multiple testing. The trial was prospectively registered with the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, PACTR201610001825403. Between May 1, 2017, and March 31, 2019, 1340 participants were recruited: 457 (34·1%) assigned to the dedicated group, 438 (32·7%) assigned to the designated group, and 445 (33·2%) assigned to the treatment as usual group. 1174 (87·6%) participants completed the 12 month assessment. Compared with treatment as usual, the dedicated group (people with HIV adjusted mean difference −5·02 [95% CI −7·51 to –2·54], p<0·0001; people with diabetes −4·20 [−6·68 to –1·72], p<0·0001) and designated group (people with HIV −6·38 [−8·89 to –3·88], p<0·0001; people with diabetes −4·80 [−7·21 to –2·39], p<0·0001) showed greater improvement on depression scores at 12 months. By contrast, reductions in AUDIT scores were similar across study groups, with no intervention effects noted. The dedicated and designated approaches to delivering CHW-led psychological interventions were equally effective for reducing depression, but enhancements are required to support alcohol reduction. This trial extends evidence for CHW-delivered psychological interventions, offering insights into how different delivery approaches affect patient outcomes. British Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, UK Department for International Development, the Economic and Social Research Council, and the Global Challenges Research Fund.

Background In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), it is uncertain whether a “dedicated” approach to integrating mental health care (wherein a community health worker (CHW) has the sole responsibility of delivering mental health care) or a “designated” approach (wherein a CHW provides this service in addition to usual responsibilities) is most effective and cost-effective. This study aims to compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these two models of service integration relative to treatment as usual (TAU) for improving mental health and chronic disease outcomes among patients with HIV or diabetes. Methods/Design This is a cluster randomised trial. We will randomise 24 primary health care facilities in the Western Cape Province of South Africa to one of three study arms. Within each cluster, we will recruit 25 patients from HIV and 25 from diabetes services for a total sample of 1200 participants. Eligible patients will be aged 18 years or older, take medication for HIV or diabetes, and screen positive on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test for hazardous/harmful alcohol use or depression on the Centre for Epidemiology Scale on Depression. Participants recruited in clinics assigned to the designated or dedicated approach will receive three sessions of motivational interviewing and problem-solving therapy, while those recruited at TAU-assigned clinics will be referred for further assessment. Participants will complete an interviewer-administered questionnaire at baseline, and at 6 and 12 months post-enrolment to assess change in self-reported outcomes. At these end points, we will test HIV RNA viral load for participants with HIV and HbA1c levels for participants with diabetes. Primary outcomes are reductions in self-reported hazardous/harmful alcohol use and risk of depression. Secondary outcomes are improvements in adherence to chronic disease treatment, biomarkers of chronic disease outcomes, and health-related quality of life. Mixed-effect linear regression models will model the effect of the interventions on primary and secondary outcomes. The cost-effectiveness of each approach will be assessed using incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Discussion Study findings will guide decision-making around how best to integrate mental health counselling into chronic disease care in a LMIC setting. Trial registration Pan African Clinical Trials Registry, Trial registration number: ACTR201610001825403 . Registered 17 October 2016.

ObjectivesTo examine the feasibility and acceptability of integrating a ‘designated’ approach to community health worker (CHW)-delivered mental health counselling (where existing CHWs deliver counselling in addition to usual duties) and a ‘dedicated’ approach (where additional CHWs have the sole responsibility of delivering mental health counselling) into chronic disease care.DesignA feasibility test of a designated and dedicated approach to CHW-delivered counselling and qualitative interviews of CHWs delivering the counselling.SettingFour primary healthcare clinics in the Western Cape, South Africa allocated to either a designated or dedicated approach and stratified by urban/rural status.ParticipantsForty chronic disease patients (20 with HIV, 20 with diabetes) reporting hazardous alcohol use or depression. Interviews with seven CHWs.InterventionThree sessions of structured mental health counselling.Main outcome measuresWe assessed feasibility by examining the proportion of patients who were willing to be screened, met inclusion criteria, provided consent, completed counselling and were retained in the study. Acceptability of these delivery approaches was assessed through qualitative interviews of CHWs.ResultsRegardless of approach, a fair proportion (67%) of eligible patients were willing to receive mental health counselling. Patients who screened positive for depression were more likely to be interested in counselling than those with hazardous alcohol only. Retention in counselling (85%) and the study (90%) was good and did not differ by approach. Both dedicated and designated CHWs viewed the counselling package as highly acceptable but requested additional training and support to facilitate implementation.ConclusionsDedicated and designated approaches to CHW-delivered mental health counselling were matched in terms of their feasibility and acceptability. A comparative efficacy trial of these approaches is justified, with some adjustments to the training and implementation protocols to provide further support to CHWs.

IntroductionDepression and alcohol use disorders are international public health priorities for which there is a substantial treatment gap. Brief mental health interventions delivered by lay health workers in primary care services may reduce this gap. There is limited economic evidence assessing the cost-effectiveness of such interventions in low-income and middle-income countries. This paper describes the proposed economic evaluation of a health systems intervention testing the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of two task-sharing approaches to integrating services for common mental disorders with HIV and diabetes primary care services.Methods and analysisThis evaluation will be conducted as part of a three-armed cluster randomised controlled trial of clinical effectiveness. Trial clinical outcome measures will include primary outcomes for risk of depression and alcohol use, and secondary outcomes for risk of chronic disease (HIV and diabetes) treatment failure. The cost-effectiveness analysis will evaluate cost per unit change in Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Centre for Epidemiological Studies scale on Depression scores as well as cost per unit change in HIV RNA viral load and haemoglobin A1c, producing results of provider and patient cost per patient year for each study arm and chronic disease. The cost utility analyses will provide results of cost per quality-adjusted life year gained. Additional analyses relevant for implementation including budget impact analyses will be conducted to inform the development of a business case for scaling up the country’s investment in mental health services.Ethics and disseminationThe Western Cape Department of Health (WCDoH) (WC2016_RP6_9), the South African Medical Research Council (EC 004-2/2015), the University of Cape Town (089/2015) and Oxford University (OxTREC 2–17) provided ethical approval for this study. Results dissemination will include policy briefs, social media, peer-reviewed papers, a policy dialogue workshop and press briefings.Trial registration numberPACTR201610001825405.