Skip to main content

Table 3 Service users’ suggestions for how to improve experiences of continuity

From: Continuity of care as experienced by mental health service users - a qualitative study

Suggestion

Example

Relevant theme

Talk to each other

Talk to the other professionals involved about service users and their needs and care plans

Knowledge

Attend collaborative meetings

Contact persons in different services, i.e. general practitioner and contact persons in health or welfare services, should meet regularly and exchange information about and with service users about their situations and planned interventions

Knowledge

Mutuality

Do not change contact person

Keep the same contact person over time, do not change contact person or therapist

Relationship

Inform service users in advance about changes in contact persons

Inform service users before changing contact persons. Failure to do so makes it seem like you do not care about them

Knowledge

Relationship

Show service users that you care about their situations

Ask service users how they are doing, in addition to asking what you can do for them

Relationship

Take peoples’ anxiety into consideration

Take into consideration the fact that many service users suffer from anxiety in social situations and in situations where they have to deal with professional helpers

Relationship

Do not expect service users to act perfectly

Service users may have a feeling that the system demands they act perfectly in order to deserve help. Not feeling this demand would make it easier for service users to admit it when they are wrong

Relationship

Mutuality

Work quicker

Do not take such a long time, for instance with making decisions that are important for the service users’ recovery or financial situation. Give the service users information swiftly

Timeliness

Knowledge

Provide information about (planned) evaluations, treatments and support

Provide information ahead of planned treatment and care

Knowledge

Convey the same messages

Convey the same messages as the other professionals involved. Different information creates confusion

Knowledge

Make use of the waiting time

Offer an opportunity for someone to talk to during waiting time prior to treatment or interventions. During the waiting time, you could provide the service users with information about specific therapies or support interventions and about what is going to take place during the first meeting

Timeliness

Knowledge

Do not be square

Do not follow rules systematically if the rules create impractical or paradoxical situations for the service users

Choice

Mutuality

Be open to contact, also between scheduled appointments or across service boundaries

Be open for contact, for instance by being available by telephone between scheduled appointments, or after the therapy has ended

Mutuality Choice

Provide the person with follow-up over time

Schedule a follow-up appointment with the service users after their treatment or contact has ended, for instance some months ahead. Such an appointment gives service users a feeling of security, and they get an opportunity to discuss their problems and repeat what they have learned about how to deal with the problems

Relationship

Include family in information and contact

Invite next-of-kin to meetings and share relevant information with them in other ways

Knowledge Relationship

Provide general information about mental health problems, available services and treatments

Make general information available, for instance on the internet pages of the municipality, in media or schools. Include telephone numbers and information about where to find help

Knowledge