Multidimensional Approaches to Quality Measurement and Performance Improvement in the Ideal Crisis System

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Services Research
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• The National Council for Mental Wellbeing identified a need for enhanced quality measurement in crisis services.
• Existing frameworks may not fully capture the complexities of crisis care delivery.
• Stakeholder perspectives are crucial for developing comprehensive quality metrics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present two innovative approaches for developing quality metrics in mental health crisis services.
• To provide a framework for measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of crisis care.
• To guide quality improvement initiatives within crisis service systems.

Main Methods:

• Developed a crisis continuum flow model with step-specific metrics.
• Utilized the ACCESS TO HELP mnemonic to define system values and associated metrics from stakeholder viewpoints.
• Incorporated case examples to illustrate metric application.

Main Results:

• The crisis continuum model offers a process-oriented approach to quality measurement.
• The ACCESS TO HELP framework provides a values-based, stakeholder-driven metric system.
• Metrics can align diverse crisis system components towards shared objectives.

Conclusions:

• These measurement approaches can facilitate targeted quality improvement in crisis services.
• Aligning metrics with system values and stakeholder needs enhances crisis care effectiveness.
• Addressing the complexities of data interpretation is key for successful implementation.