Evaluation of SHARM project RIAGG Maastricht

Because of developments in the Netherlands as a strenghtening of the first line
mental health care, more market competition and a new finance system (DBC
system) are developed. Therefore it is important to know which care is the
right care, at the right moment and right place. RIAGG Maastricht offers short
term care in GP practices with the assumption this care is the right care at
the right time and place. However, to present the care as such, more insight is
needed in the costs, effects and process implications. To gain such insight,
the care as offered in the GP practice has to be evaluated. This shows the
effect of a structural cooperation between second-line and first-line mental
health care.

The study aims to gain insight in the costs, effects and process implications
of the 4-5 session treatment as offered in the first line (GP practice) by the
second line professionals(RIAGG) compared to direct referral to the RIAGG from
a societal perspective?

The general research question for the evaluation study is:
Is the 4-5 session treatment as offered in the SHARM project preferable
compared to direct referral to the RIAGG in terms of costs and effects and
process implications from a societal perspective? And how can decision making
for the GPs be supported?

Trial based economic evaluation.

Because we are interested in the costs and consequences, a full economic
evaluation is appropriate to study the research question. The perspective of
this study is the societal perspective. From a societal perspective all
relevant costs and effects are considered. This provides information that helps
decision-makers to form a better judgment The design of this study is a
randomized trial

The intervention is the short term treatment as offered by professionals of the
RIAGG in the GP's practice. However, it is not a new intervention. The short
term treatment in the GP's practice by a professional of the RIAGG is already
offered for over 3 years. To evaluate this short term treatment, the short term
treatment will be compared to direct referrals to the RIAGG by randomization of
patients to either the RIAGG or the short term care at the GP's practice.

To measure the effects of the SHARM project we use questionnaires, which have
to be filled in by patients. The questionnaires will be anonymously analysed.
The questionnaires do not have an effect on the treatment or on the patient.
The patients can stop with the participation without any consequences and an
independent person for questions about the study will be present.

The intervention and the care at the RIAGG are both treatments, which are
usually provided within the SHARM project or the RIAGG. Both treatments are
already offered in daily practice and are therefore not experimental. Both
forms of care might differ in time span. The care from the SHARM project is
aimed to be short, while the care at the RIAGG is the usual care with its usual
time span. For those patients who are assigned to the RIAGG, the access to the
RIAGG will be easier as the *normal referrals*. In this way, the patients are
offered an advantage to participate with the study.