Patients' experience of patient-reported outcomes, continuous feedback, and a solution-focused approach (using DIALOG +) in psychosis care in Sweden.

BACKGROUND

Involving patients in care and ensuring structured continuous follow-up can be challenging. Using Patient-Reported Outcomes during routine encounters can enable patients and healthcare professionals to collaboratively focus on the patients needs and adjust treatments over time. Previous research highlights the benefits of continuous feedback and solution-focused methods in psychiatric care. DIALOG + is a digitally supported conversational intervention designed to enhance the therapeutic effectiveness through self-reported outcomes and a solution-focused approach. This study explores patients' experiences of using DIALOG + in Swedish psychosis care, focusing on its integration of continuous feedback and a solution-focused approach to support active patient participation in planning and evaluation of care.

METHODS

A qualitative exploratory study using Reflexive Thematic Analysis was conducted. Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with ten patients who had used DIALOG + three or more times.

RESULTS

The analysis identified two themes: "The supportive features of DIALOG + " and "DIALOG + provides a constructive structure". These themes included six sub-categories: "Expanded the understanding of my health,"; "Moving toward improvement,"; "Provided memory support,"; "Empowering participation,"; "Distinguishing DIALOG + as a constructive complement," and "Experiences of the digital interface."

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that DIALOG + may enhance care for patients with psychotic disorders by: 1. Expanding the understanding of the patient's health by enabling a more comprehensive and nuanced picture of the patient's situation. 2. Promoting improvement by focusing on solution-oriented discussions and concrete actions. 3. Providing valuable memory support for patients, which facilitates follow-up and continuity of care. 4. Strengthening patient involvement in their own care 5. Offering a digital interface that facilitates structured communication between patient and healthcare provider. This intervention has the potential to enhance patient participation and foster co-production, aligning with national healthcare priorities.