Quality indicators for primary care mental health services

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality
• Mental Health Services Research
• Primary Care

Background:

• Quality improvement in primary care mental health services is essential for effective patient care.
• A multi-stakeholder perspective is crucial for developing relevant and valid quality indicators.
• Existing quality measures may not fully capture the complexities of primary care mental health provision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify a generic set of face valid quality indicators for primary care mental health services.
• To reflect a multi-stakeholder perspective in the development of these indicators.
• To facilitate quality improvement initiatives within these services.

Main Methods:

• A modified two-round postal Delphi questionnaire was employed.
• 115 panellists from 11 diverse stakeholder groups across Great Britain participated.
• Face validity was assessed using a nine-point scale with high agreement criteria.

Main Results:

• A total of 334 indicators were rated, with 26% achieving consensus validity across all panels.
• Indicators were categorized into 21 aspects of care, linked to general practices and health authorities.
• Significant variation existed in indicator validity ratings among different stakeholder groups, with carers rating the highest percentage valid.

Conclusions:

• The developed quality indicators represent consensus among key stakeholders for defining care quality in primary care mental health.
• These indicators can guide primary care organizations in quality improvement efforts, aligning with national standards.
• The methodology is adaptable for developing locally relevant indicators in other settings.