Acceptability of a resource-oriented approach (DIALOG+) among patients with chronic physical illnesses in primary health care-Uganda, a qualitative study.

Background: Chronic physical illnesses are often associated with significant psychological distress and chronic mental illnesses are often co-morbid with physical illnesses. Efforts to integrate mental health into primary health care in Uganda are underway. However, there are enormous logistical challenges. Effective resource-oriented and evidence-based interventions such as DIALOG + have the potential to improve treatment outcomes for patients with chronic conditions. We aimed to assess the acceptability of DIALOG + among patients with chronic physical illnesses in Uganda.
Methods: This was a qualitative aspect of a mixed methods exploratory non-controlled study conducted in chronic physical illness out-patient clinics at two hospitals in Uganda. We conducted fifteen in-depth interviews with patients, ten key informant interviews with clinicians, and four focus group discussions with patients. Thematic data analysis was done through an iterative process.
Results: The results support the acceptability of the intervention as evidenced by willingness to participate, better relationships between patients and clinicians, and improved control of both physical illnesses and psychological distress. Participants also talked about ways in which the implementation of DIALOG + could be improved.
Conclusion: DIALOG + is acceptable among patients with chronic physical illness in primary health care settings in Uganda.
Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: We received ethical approval from the Makerere University College of Health Sciences (#REC REF 2020 − 195) and Queen Mary University of London (QMERC 2018/67) Research Ethics committees. This Qualitative study was part of an exploratory non-controlled study conducted in 3 countries of Uganda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Colombia and the protocol was published elsewhere [9]. All participants provided written informed consent to participate in the study, which included consent for the recording of the sessions. The research was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki following ethical principles for medical research involving human participants. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)