Approaches For ThE pRioritization of Patients in priMAry Care Post-COVID To Reduce Health Inequities (AFTERMATH)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted primary care across Canada. Inequities in prevention activities and chronic disease management likely increased but the extent is unknown. Pragmatic interventions are required to prioritize patients and improve the quality of primary care post-COVID. In AFTERMATH, the investigators will conduct a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) at the largest primary care Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) in Ontario, focused on a highly marginalized population: adults living with mental illness and one or more additional chronic diseases. The investigators will test an intervention that builds on the investigators' past work and combines data and supports to primary care providers to improve quality of life, reduce gaps in prevention activities and improve chronic disease management. The investigators' project will result in new evidence on ways to improve access to care and reduce inequities, and inform future efforts to use data beyond COVID-19.

Official Title
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Approaches For ThE pRioritization of Patients in priMAry Care Post-COVID To Reduce Health Inequities (AFTERMATH): Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Conditions
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Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Community Health Worker


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: A. Family Physicians: Any family physician in the University of Toronto Practice-Based Research Network (UTOPIAN) with 10+ community-dwelling patients living with depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder plus one or more additional chronic disease (COPD, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's). B. Patients: Patients from the included family physician practices living with depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder plus one or more additional chronic disease (COPD, diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, dementia, epilepsy and Parkinson's). Exclusion Criteria: A. Family Physicians: None B. Patients: Patients under 18

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Community Health Worker + Quality Improvement reports<br>Family physicians with ten or more patients living with schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder will work with a community health worker who will assist them in reviewing their individualized reports, which presents data on patient's preventive health care status and engagement in care. | Other: Community Health Worker<br>* Physicians will work with a Community Health Worker (CHW) to review the data presented in their Quality Improvement reports, and triage patients for proactive outreach (e.g. No action necessary, Call patient to check-in, Arrange BP, weight and labs, Book for phone appointment, Book for in-person appointment).<br>|
| No Intervention: Quality Improvement dashboard<br>Family physicians with ten or more patients living with schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder will have access to an individualized reports, which presents data on patient's preventive health care status and engagement in care. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| health-related quality of life | We will assess health-related quality of life using the World Health Organization WHO QOL-BREF scale | 9 months | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| preventive care activities | We will assess the number of up-to-date preventive care activities | 9 months | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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primary health care, primary care, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, cluster randomized controlled trial, community health worker, randomized controlled trial