The following is a summary of “Understanding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the care experiences of people with mental-physical multimorbidity: protocol for a mixed methods study,” published in the July 2023 issue of Primary Care by Menear, et al.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted primary care and other health services, posing challenges to patients’ care experiences. People with mental-physical multimorbidity are particularly vulnerable to these disruptions and require attention to understand how their care experiences have been affected. For a study, researchers sought to investigate the impacts of the pandemic on the care experiences of individuals with mental-physical multimorbidity and identify ways to enhance their care.
The mixed-methods study consisted of four distinct phases. Phase 1 involved qualitative interviews with individuals with mental-physical multimorbidity and health professionals to explore the pandemic’s effects on care experiences and gather perspectives on care improvements. The findings from Phase 1 informed the design of Phases 2 and 3. Phase 2 employed journey mapping exercises with a sub-group of participants to visually represent their care interactions and experiences over time, focusing on critical moments that shaped their experiences. In Phase 3, a cross-sectional survey was administered online to a larger group of individuals with mental disorders and/or chronic physical conditions to assess their care experiences. Phase 4 included deliberative dialogues with key partners to discuss and plan strategies for enhancing care delivery to people with mental-physical multimorbidity. Pre-dialogue workshops helped synthesize and prepare results from the previous phases.
The study results provide valuable evidence of the pandemic’s impacts on care experiences for individuals with mental-physical multimorbidity, highlighting both positive and negative aspects. Moreover, the study suggested strategies to improve care quality and overall experiences for the vulnerable population.
Source: bmcprimcare.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12875-023-02106-5