Erfaringer fra implementering av kunnskapsbaserte behandlingsmetoder for posttraumatisk stresslidelse

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to shed light on how implementation of a new practice in mental healthcare can be carried out. We describe experiences with systematic implementation of treatment methods for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in outpatient mental healthcare clinics in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust (HNT) in 2020–2021. We also examined how many patients were diagnosed with PTSD and how many consultations were given targeting PTSD before, during and after the implementation period (2017–2023). Method: The authors’ subjective experiences with the implementation process were shared and discussed. Two of the authors were implementation facilitators, and one author was a first-level leader in one of the outpatient clinics. Administrative data from the Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust were collected and analysed. Results: The first-level leaders at the four outpatient clinics initiated regular digital meetings where they shared experiences and solved problems during implementation. All employees were involved in the implementation process. A larger percentage of patients was diagnosed with PTSD during the implementation period (12%) compared with the period before (8%) and after (10%) implementation. The same applied to the percentage of consultations for the same patient group (13%) compared with the period before (9%) and after (1%) implementation.  Implications: This study gives a practical example of systematic implementation of a new practice in a Norwegian health trust. The study also shows how administrative data can be used in the evaluation of an implementation.   Keywords: implementation, PTSD, evidence-based practice, trauma, outpatient mental healthcare