Optimal Acute Adult Psychiatric In-patient Care in Hong Kong

NCT07097623 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: HSEARS20231025005
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 160
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This mixed-method study aims to evaluate the optimal number of hospital beds and quality of acute adult psychiatric inpatient care in Hong Kong using online Delphi surveys for psychiatric nurses and individual interviews for service users with mental health conditions and family caregivers. The main question it aims to answer is: What are the consensus points for quality acute adult psychiatric inpatient care in Hong Kong from psychiatric nurses, service users, and caregivers? Psychiatric nurses will respond to three rounds of online Delphi surveys, while service users and caregivers will attend individual semi-structured interviews.

Conditions

Psychiatric Hospitalization

Keywords

adult psychiatric inpatient care, optimal bed number

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• consensus on the optimal number and minimum number of psychiatric inpatient beds as assessed using two numeric questions in the Delphi survey

  To reach an expert consensus, ≥ 85% of numeric responses fall within the first and third quartiles of the responses

  3-6 months

• consensus on the optimal nurse-patient ratio as assessed using a numeric question in the Delphi survey

  To reach an expert consensus, ≥ 85% of numeric responses fall within the first and third quartiles of the responses

  3-6 months

• consensus on the optimal length of stay by diagnoses as assessed using a numeric question in the Delphi survey

  To reach an expert consensus, ≥ 85% of numeric responses fall within the first and third quartiles of the responses

  3-6 months

• consensus on factors contributing to the optimal numbers of psychiatric inpatient beds as assessed using four open-ended questions in the Delphi survey

  To reach an expert consensus, ≥ 85% agreement with the two favourable responses (e.g., 'strongly agree' and 'agree') on items is achieved

  3-6 months

• consensus on recommendations for achieving optimal acute adult psychiatric inpatient services as assessed using five open-ended questions in the Delphi survey

  To reach an expert consensus, ≥ 85% agreement with the two favourable responses (e.g., 'strongly agree' and 'agree') on items is achieved

  3-6 months

• experience and expectation of optimal adult psychiatric inpatient care as assessed using individual interviews

  certain themes will be generated by thematic analysis

  1-3 months

Study Arms (3)

Psychiatric nurses

Other: respond to 3 rounds of online Delphi surveys

Service users

Other: attend an individual semi-structured interview

Family caregivers

Other: attend an individual semi-structured interview

Interventions

respond to 3 rounds of online Delphi surveys OTHER

In the first round, the responses of the participants will be collected, coded, and categorised into several themes/factors anonymously. In the second round, the participants will obtain the controlled feedback of all other participants and rate the level of agreement of the factors using a 5-point Likert scale ('strongly agree', 'agree', 'neither agree or disagree', 'disagree', and 'strongly disagree'; or 'essential', 'important', 'don't know/depends', 'unimportant', and 'should not be considered'). In the third round, the participants will rank the importance of the factors. In each round, the participants will be expected to complete the survey within one month.

Psychiatric nurses

attend an individual semi-structured interview OTHER

The individual semi-structured interview will be audio-recorded, last for 45 minutes at maximum, and carried out by a trained and independent research assistant in a meeting room of PolyU or a room affiliated with the respective acute wards of the participating hospitals.

Family caregivers; Service users

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 64 Years
• Sex: all
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be recruited from the psychiatric departments within four clinical clusters of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

You may qualify if:

• working in the Hospital Authority on a full-time basis,
• with ≥ 10 years post-registration experience, and
• able to read and understand English

You may not qualify if:

• without working experience in adult psychiatry
• II. Service users
• aged 18-64
• able to read and communicate in Cantonese, and
• being discharged within a year
• having a co-morbidity of learning disability, organic/neurological conditions, or substance misuse disorder
• III. Family caregivers
• aged 18 or above, and
• able to read and communicate in Cantonese
• having active psychiatric conditions

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: lead
• Nethersole Institute of Continuing Holistic Health Education (NICHE): collaborator

Study Officials

• Dennis Chak Fai Ma, PhD

  School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Dennis Chak Fai Ma, PhD

CONTACT

852-27666555; dennis.cf.ma@polyu.edu.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: OTHER
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor of Practice

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 23, 2025
• First Posted: July 31, 2025
• Study Start: August 4, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 31, 2026
• Last Updated: July 31, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07