Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural Nepal
Abstract Objective The Community Informant Detection Tool (CIDT) is a paper-based proactive case detection strategy with evidence for improving help-seeking behavior for mental healthcare. Key implementation barriers for the paper-based CIDT include delayed reporting of cases and lack of active foll...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Research Notes |
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| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13104-020-05148-5 |
| _version_ | 1818863088953196544 |
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| author | Anvita Bhardwaj Prasansa Subba Sauharda Rai Chaya Bhat Renasha Ghimire Mark J. D. Jordans Eric Green Lavanya Vasudevan Brandon A. Kohrt |
| author_facet | Anvita Bhardwaj Prasansa Subba Sauharda Rai Chaya Bhat Renasha Ghimire Mark J. D. Jordans Eric Green Lavanya Vasudevan Brandon A. Kohrt |
| author_sort | Anvita Bhardwaj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective The Community Informant Detection Tool (CIDT) is a paper-based proactive case detection strategy with evidence for improving help-seeking behavior for mental healthcare. Key implementation barriers for the paper-based CIDT include delayed reporting of cases and lack of active follow up. We used mobile phones and structured text messages to improve timeliness of case reporting, encouraging follow up, and case record keeping. 36 female community health volunteers piloted this mobile phone CIDT (mCIDT) for three months in 2017 in rural Nepal. Results Only 8 cases were identified by health volunteers using mCIDT, and only two of these cases engaged with health services post-referral. Accuracy with the mCIDT was considerably lower than paper-based CIDT, especially among older health volunteers, those with lower education, and those having difficulties sending text messages. Qualitative findings revealed implementation challenges including cases not following through on referrals due to perceived lack of staff at health facilities, assumptions among health volunteers that all earthquake-related mental health needs had been met, and lack of financial incentives for use of mCIDT. Based on study findings, we provide 5 recommendations—in particular attitudinal and system preparedness changes—to effectively introduce new mental healthcare technology in low resource health systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:10:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d1926d9bf37480ba82a2baecdcf4148 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-0500 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T10:10:12Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Research Notes |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d1926d9bf37480ba82a2baecdcf41482022-12-21T20:26:23ZengBMCBMC Research Notes1756-05002020-07-011311710.1186/s13104-020-05148-5Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural NepalAnvita Bhardwaj0Prasansa Subba1Sauharda Rai2Chaya Bhat3Renasha Ghimire4Mark J. D. Jordans5Eric Green6Lavanya Vasudevan7Brandon A. Kohrt8Department of Population Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthTranscultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) NepalDuke Global Health Institute, Duke UniversityDuke Global Health Institute, Duke UniversityTranscultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) NepalCenter for Global Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Kings College LondonDuke Global Health Institute, Duke UniversityCenter for Health Policy and Inequalities Research, Duke Global Health InstituteDuke Global Health Institute, Duke UniversityAbstract Objective The Community Informant Detection Tool (CIDT) is a paper-based proactive case detection strategy with evidence for improving help-seeking behavior for mental healthcare. Key implementation barriers for the paper-based CIDT include delayed reporting of cases and lack of active follow up. We used mobile phones and structured text messages to improve timeliness of case reporting, encouraging follow up, and case record keeping. 36 female community health volunteers piloted this mobile phone CIDT (mCIDT) for three months in 2017 in rural Nepal. Results Only 8 cases were identified by health volunteers using mCIDT, and only two of these cases engaged with health services post-referral. Accuracy with the mCIDT was considerably lower than paper-based CIDT, especially among older health volunteers, those with lower education, and those having difficulties sending text messages. Qualitative findings revealed implementation challenges including cases not following through on referrals due to perceived lack of staff at health facilities, assumptions among health volunteers that all earthquake-related mental health needs had been met, and lack of financial incentives for use of mCIDT. Based on study findings, we provide 5 recommendations—in particular attitudinal and system preparedness changes—to effectively introduce new mental healthcare technology in low resource health systems.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13104-020-05148-5NepalDeveloping countriesmHealthMental healthHelp-seekingReferral |
| spellingShingle | Anvita Bhardwaj Prasansa Subba Sauharda Rai Chaya Bhat Renasha Ghimire Mark J. D. Jordans Eric Green Lavanya Vasudevan Brandon A. Kohrt Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural Nepal BMC Research Notes Nepal Developing countries mHealth Mental health Help-seeking Referral |
| title | Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural Nepal |
| title_full | Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural Nepal |
| title_fullStr | Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural Nepal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural Nepal |
| title_short | Lessons learned through piloting a community-based SMS referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural Nepal |
| title_sort | lessons learned through piloting a community based sms referral system for common mental health disorders used by female community health volunteers in rural nepal |
| topic | Nepal Developing countries mHealth Mental health Help-seeking Referral |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13104-020-05148-5 |
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