DIALOG+ is an intervention that uses technology to guide conversations between patients and their health providers during routine appointments. The intervention aims to help patients identify strategies to improve their quality of life, using resources already available to them.[1] The DIALOG+ intervention is available for Android[2] and Apple operating systems,[3] and is also available as a progressive web application.[4]
History
editDIALOG+ was developed based on research done in 2002 at the Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry (Queen Mary University of London and the East London NHS Foundation Trust) to explore how to structure communication between mental health patients and health providers.[5] In the early version of DIALOG+ (known as the DIALOG scale), patients rated their satisfaction and healthcare needs across 11 different parts of their life and treatment.[6] The ratings were then used to guide conversations between patients and health providers to identify patient priorities.[7]
The original DIALOG scale was further expanded to include a therapeutic intervention to address priorities identified by the patients through the use of the DIALOG scale. The new intervention, called DIALOG+, incorporated an additional 4-step approach[8] where the patient and health provider worked together to suggest solutions for the concerns raised during completion of the DIALOG scale.
Clinical use
editBoth DIALOG and DIALOG+ have been implemented across the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, including Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, and East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT).[7] Within ELFT, DIALOG+ has replaced part of the Care Programme Approach which provides mental health assessments as part of a patient's recovery plan and safety plan.[9] In 2022, DIALOG+ was integrated into all community adult mental health services in all London boroughs and Milton Keynes.[6]
Research
editDIALOG Scale
editDIALOG is a measure of subjective quality of life (SQOL)[7] that has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK) as a measure of patient outcomes.[10] In a cluster randomized controlled trial in six countries (Spain, the Netherlands, the UK, Sweden, Germany, and Switzerland), use of the DIALOG scale was found to improve SQOL in patients who reported fewer unmet needs and higher satisfaction with treatment, assessed after 12 months.[5]
DIALOG+
editIn a pragmatic cluster randomized trial of DIALOG+ in 7 community mental health teams across East London, UK, patients reported improved SQOL at 3, 6, and 12 months, and reduced psychopathological symptoms. In the same trial, DIALOG+ was found to also improve objective social outcomes and reduce the cost of treatment.[11] A separate study exploring the mechanisms by which DIALOG+ works found that patient-reported improvements likely occurred because DIALOG+ provides a solution-focused structure to routine clinical meetings while encouraging self-reflection, expression, and empowerment in patients.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Dialog+". DIALOG+. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ^ "DIALOG - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
- ^ "DIALOG". App Store. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
- ^ "Welcome". DIALOG+ Welcome Page. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
- ^ a b "About - Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry". www.qmul.ac.uk. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
- ^ a b "CNWL launching DIALOG+ across adult mental health services in 2022:: Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust". www.cnwl.nhs.uk. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ^ a b c "DIALOG - Healthy London Partnership". DIALOG. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ^ "Resources". East London NHS Foundation Trust. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ^ "DIALOG+ Application in the NHS". DIALOG+. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ^ "Implementing the Early Intervention in Psychosis Access and Waiting Time Standard: Guidance". Implementing the Early Intervention in Psychosis Access and Waiting Time Standard: Guidance (see pages 32 - 33). 28 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
- ^ Priebe, Stefan; Kelley, Lauren; Omer, Serif; Golden, Eoin; Walsh, Sophie; Khanom, Husnara; Kingdon, David; Rutterford, Clare; McCrone, Paul; McCabe, Rosemarie (2015). "The Effectiveness of a Patient-Centred Assessment with a Solution-Focused Approach (DIALOG+) for Patients with Psychosis: A Pragmatic Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial in Community Care". Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 84 (5): 304–313. doi:10.1159/000430991. hdl:10871/19973. ISSN 0033-3190. PMID 26278784. S2CID 7358805.
- ^ Omer, Serif; Golden, Eoin; Priebe, Stefan (2016-02-09). "Exploring the Mechanisms of a Patient-Centred Assessment with a Solution Focused Approach (DIALOG+) in the Community Treatment of Patients with Psychosis: A Process Evaluation within a Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial". PLOS ONE. 11 (2): e0148415. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1148415O. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148415. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4747516. PMID 26859388.