The Two-Way Communication Checklist (2-COM) in First Episode Psychosis Patients in Hong Kong

The University of Hong Kong (HKU)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Schizophrenia; Communication

Treatments: Other: The Two-Way Communication Checklist; Other: Treatment as usual

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02435784

UW 15-170

Details and patient eligibility

About

The Two-Way Communication Checklist (2-COM) is a communication tool developed by van Os et al. (2002). It aims to provide an opportunity for patients to voice their needs and problem to minimize the discrepancy and miscommunication between patient and professional carer. In this randomized controlled trial, the investigators aim to examine whether using 2-COM checklist would lead to improvement in first episode psychosis patient's overall satisfaction, change in treatment option in clinicians and consultation time.

Full description

Communication is at the heart of psychiatric practice. Good communication has positive impact on treatment, treatment satisfaction and treatment adherence. However, different characteristics of psychosis barricade the communication between clinicians and patients. Consequently, the divergent views of needs of care between patients and clinicians may be established due to miscommunication. Such divergence may barricade the planning and the outcome of treatment.

In Hong Kong, the core psychiatric services as well as early intervention for first episode psychosis patients are provided by psychiatric outpatient clinics. Mental health services in Hong Kong are overwhelmed by large demands of the services and inadequate mental health care workforce such as low psychiatrists-to-population ratio and psychiatric nurse-to-population ratio. The large demands of services and inadequate mental health care workforce restrained the services' quality. In some busy psychiatric outpatient clinic, a clinician needs to consult 30 patients in a 3-hour session. Hui et al. (2008) study showed that the mean consultation time in one of the general psychiatric outpatient clinic in Hong Kong is 5.8 minutes.

To sum up, a cost-effectiveness instrument is in need for the early intervention psychiatric outpatient clinic in Hong Kong. The instrument has to reduce the needs' divergence, communication between clinicians and patients, and enhance the patients' involvement of clinical decision-making in the rushed psychiatric consultation. The Two-Way Communication Checklist (2-COM) may satisfy the demand.

Enrollment: 84 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 15 to 64 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Patients will be included if they meet the following criteria:

1. attended the EASY service;
2. were diagnosed with schizophrenia ,schizoaffective disorder or schizophreniform disorder according to ICD-10;
3. were age between 15-64;
4. were able to complete the informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

Patients will be excluded if they meet the following criteria:

1. had history of substance misuse;
2. had history of intellectual disability;
3. were non- Chinese speaking patients
4. had violent risk
5. had suicidal risk

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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84 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

2-COM group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will use the Two-Way Communication Checklist (2-COM) once in a psychiatric consultation.

Treatment:

Other: The Two-Way Communication Checklist

TAU group

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Treatment as usual (TAU) group.

Treatment:

Other: Treatment as usual