Patients’ experience of being triaged directly to a psychologist in Primary care when the reason for contact is mental health issues: A qualitative

study

Linda Dahlöf ClinPsy, Anna Simonsson ClinPsy, Jörgen Thorn MD, PhD, Maria EH Larsson RPT, PhDPrimary Health Care, Region Västra Götaland

Biskopsgården Primary health care center

Primary Care Triage

• Increase accessibility• Healthcare on the correct

professional level; nurse, physiotherapist, physician, psychologist

• A nurse-led sorting system based on symptoms

PurposePatients´ experience of being triaged directly to a

psychologist for assessment

Three domains:1) contacting the PHCC for mental health issues 2) being booked to a psychologist by a nurse

3) the assessment by the psychologist

Method

• 20 semi-structured interviews

• Thematic qualitative content analysis

• Categories were abstracted into three themes

Results

Appreciating quick access as seeking help is

demanding

I constantly had precisely those feelings – she might think that I´m silly to have come there at all.

For me that felt good. It would feel unnecessary to have to talk to somebody else first to see if one would fit to go to a psychologist…

The nurse responds to the patient´s own intention

I wanted to talk to a psychologist, that was why I called, after that I didn´t really have many expectations, I didn´t really know how it worked, I had just heard that there were psychologists at this health care center

Relief and disappointment when diverse

expectations meet the structured assessment

….there was not a lot of in-between time so, well it didn´t feel like I was somehow intruding on something else… there was time here and that time was for me (…) I was happy to get there so soon and be taken seriously and then to take space…

…it all became a little bit too much DSM…eh…if you are familiar with the term?

What was not found

• No surprise or disappointment about being sorted directly to a psychologist instead of a physician

Primary Care Triage:

Primary Care Triage:~ Patients appreciate quick and easy access

to a psychologist at the PHCC

Primary Care Triage:~ Patients appreciate quick and easy access

to a psychologist at the PHCC

~Triage more guided by patient than nurse

Primary Care Triage:~ Patients appreciate quick and easy access

to a psychologist at the PHCC

~Triage more guided by patient than nurse

~ First assessment sometimes contradicts what patients expect from a psychologist