Participatory Messaging in the UCLA Psychiatry Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient Programs

The Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in the Neuropsychatric Hospital at UCLA provide psychiatric services for adults and children with acute mental illness. These include voluntary programs that support individuals in their recovery with the goal to assist patients in achieving the highest level of independence. Most programs operate Monday through Friday between four to eight hours a day. Recently, the PHP and IOP programs have decided to start including mobile messaging as a part of care, helping patients to feel supported even after they have left the hospital for the day. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of their ongoing use of the Chorus Participatory Mobile Framework to support clinical care. Chorus is a framework and web application that allows users to rapidly create a broad range of automated text messaging (SMS), interactive voice (IVR), or mobile web applications using a simple and accessible visual interface without requiring any server programming. There will be two broad populations using Chorus: (1) programs (e.g. OCD Intensive Treatment Program) in which all participants will receive participatory mobile messaging and (2) programs (e.g. Adult Acute PHP) in which patients will be randomized to receive either participatory mobile messaging or no mobile messaging. Across all programs, Kandace Whiting and Armen Arevian will train PHP and IOP therapists starting with creating simple, basic, useful messaging content in Chorus to support patients in achieving program goals. Examples of messages include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), symptom management, and stress management cues to patients in the Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Clinic, patients in the Adult Eating Disorder Clinic, and parents from The Achievement, Behavior, Cognition (ABC) Child Programs. All participating patients receiving participatory mobile messaging will work with program staff one-on-one to tailor SMS and IVR content and design based on their own preferences. By being able to personalize the messaging, the Chorus Participatory Mobile Framework meets the capacities and preferences of the users rather than a "one-size" approach requiring adaptation of the users to the technology. Both therapists and patients will be invited to up to bi-weekly, in-person workshops specific to their program to provide feedback and input. The goal of these workshops is to further develop and refine the novel mobile interventions based on stakeholder input. The Chorus Participatory Framework will be used during the workshops to develop and test the application in real-time. Workshops will be audio and/or video recorded to document the process.