Barriers and solutions to equitable funeral care in the U.S. for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Research on the funeral industry in the United States is limited by privatization and the dearth of publicly available data, making assessment of equitable services a challenge. The goal of this study was to explore the experiences of LGBTQIA+ deathcare providers and consumers to understand barriers to equitable services. We interviewed 23 funeral providers (N = 17) and consumers (N = 6) using a phenomenological approach and employed grounded theory to develop a deeper understanding from different perspectives that could inform more equitable practices.

Are funeral homes in the United States safe spaces for sexual and gender minorities? A website content analysis.

LGBTQIA+ people, particularly those aging into end-of-life care decisions, need safety cues to identify safe spaces to access equitable death care. We conducted a website content analysis of 90 randomly selected funeral homes across the United States to evaluate the presence of LGBTQIA+ safety cues, such as inclusive language, symbols, imagery, and LGBTQIA+-friendly collaborations. Results showed that none of the selected funeral homes displayed any kind of safety cues.

Managing physical and mental health conditions: Consumer perspectives on integrated care.

Background: Despite the growing trend of integrating primary care and mental health services, little research has documented how consumers with severe mental illnesses manage comorbid conditions or view integrated services.

Objectives: We sought to better understand how consumers perceive and manage both mental and physical health conditions and their views of integrated services.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with consumers receiving primary care services integrated in a community mental health setting.

Factor structure of the autonomy preference index in people with severe mental illness.

People vary in the amount of control they want to exercise over decisions about their healthcare. Given the importance of patient-centered care, accurate measurement of these autonomy preferences is critical. This study aimed to assess the factor structure of the Autonomy Preference Index (API), used widely in general healthcare, in individuals with severe mental illness.

Comparison of Assertive Community Treatment Fidelity Assessment Methods: Reliability and Validity.

Assertive community treatment is known for improving consumer outcomes, but is difficult to implement. On-site fidelity measurement can help ensure model adherence, but is costly in large systems. This study compared reliability and validity of three methods of fidelity assessment (on-site, phone-administered, and expert-scored self-report) using a stratified random sample of 32 mental health intensive case management teams from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Consumer and provider responses to a computerized version of the Illness Management and Recovery Program.

Objective: To explore mental health consumer and provider responses to a computerized version of the Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) program.

Method: Semistructured interviews were conducted to gather data from 6 providers and 12 consumers who participated in a computerized prototype of the IMR program. An inductive-consensus-based approach was used to analyze the interview responses.

A comparison of self-reported and phone-administered methods of ACT fidelity assessment: a pilot study in Indiana.

Objective: Monitoring fidelity of assertive community treatment (ACT) teams is costly. This study investigated the reliability and validity of a less burdensome approach: self-reported assessment.

Methods: Phone-administered and self-reported assessments were compared for 16 ACT teams.

A review of consumer-provided services on assertive community treatment and intensive case management teams: implications for future research and practice.

Background: Assertive community treatment (ACT) is an evidence-based practice that provides intensive, in vivo services for adults with severe mental illness. Some ACT and intensive case management teams have integrated consumers as team members with varying results.

Methods: The authors reviewed the literature examining the outcomes of having consumer providers on case management teams, with attention devoted to randomized controlled trials (RCTs).