Evaluation of a Waiting List Initiative in a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Mental Health
• Healthcare Management Systems
• Service Delivery Improvement

Background:

• Evaluating the effectiveness of new referral management systems in child mental health services.
• Assessing the impact of Initial Assessment (IA) on key performance indicators compared to existing procedures.
• Focus on improving patient flow, reducing missed appointments, and enhancing team dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the Initial Assessment (IA) system for referral management.
• To compare IA's impact on waiting times, DNA rates, and team working against the current system.
• To assess staff and user perceptions of the IA system.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study over 6 months in child mental health services.
• Utilized administrative records, child functioning measures, and staff/user questionnaires.
• Intervention group used IA; control group used the existing system.

Main Results:

• IA system demonstrated significantly shorter average waiting times (9 weeks) and lower DNA rates (10%).
• Patient populations were comparable in case severity across both systems.
• Staff reported enhanced team working and morale, despite increased individual time pressure; users accepted the system.

Conclusions:

• Improved team morale and collegial support associated with IA may offset increased time pressure.
• The IA system shows potential for substantial cost savings within the National Health Service (NHS).
• IA is an effective model for improving efficiency and staff satisfaction in child mental health referral management.