Enhancing patient-clinician collaboration during treatment decision-making: study protocol for a community-engaged, mixed method hybrid type 1 trial of collaborative decision skills training (CDST) for veterans with psychosis

TL;DR

This study aims to test a training program that helps veterans with psychosis participate more in their treatment decisions, using a mixed-method approach in a VA clinic.

Contribution

The study introduces a hybrid type 1 trial to evaluate a new collaborative decision skills training program for veterans with psychosis.

Findings

An open trial showed CDST is feasible and has preliminary effectiveness.

The RCT will assess CDST's effectiveness compared to an active control.

The study will identify barriers and facilitators to implementing CDST in VA clinics.

Abstract

Patient participation in treatment decision making is a pillar of recovery-oriented care and is associated with improvements in empowerment and well-being. Although demand for increased involvement in treatment decision-making is high among veterans with serious mental illness, rates of involvement are low. Collaborative decision skills training (CDST) is a recovery-oriented, skills-based intervention designed to support meaningful patient participation in treatment decision making. An open trial among veterans with psychosis supported CDST’s feasibility and demonstrated preliminary indications of effectiveness. A randomized control trial (RCT) is needed to test CDST’s effectiveness in comparison with an active control and further evaluate implementation feasibility.

The planned RCT is a hybrid type 1 trial, which will use mixed methods to systematically evaluate the effectiveness and implementation feasibility of CDST among veterans participating in a VA Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) in Southern California. The first aim is to assess the effectiveness of CDST in comparison with the active control via the primary outcome, collaborative decision-making behavior during usual care appointments between veterans and their VA mental health clinicians, and secondary outcomes (i.e., treatment engagement, satisfaction, and outcome). The second aim is to characterize the implementation feasibility of CDST within the VA PRRC using the Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model framework, including barriers and facilitators within the PRRC context to support future implementation.

If CDST is found to be effective and feasible, implementation determinants gathered throughout the study can be used to ensure sustained and successful implementation at this PRRC and other PRRCs and similar settings nationally.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04324944. Registered on March 27, 2020. Trial registration data can be found in Appendix 1.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-024-08127-4.

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