[Quality evaluation in psychiatric services: a regional system of indicators]

This work proposes a series of indicators, based on routine data collection system adopted in the Emilia Romagna Region, with the aim of describing the quality and quantity of psychiatric care and the connections of psychiatric structures. We are bearing in mind the Plan aimed to Mental Health Care 1994-1996 and the Efficiency and quality indicators of National Health System (SSN) devised by the Department of Health of national government.

A working group has been instituted by the regional authority to define the indicators (definition of meaning, formula, danger level, finality, level od utilisation, data source and frequency of survey, congruent with the regional information system.

We present 105 indicators grouped according to the psychiatric structure they are aimed at (community centers, acute admissions wards, semiresidential and residential facilities, former mental hospitals, district mental health department) and according to code in three lists: 1) general indicators; 2) probing indicators; 3) outcome indicators.

This set of indicators though created for local usage is aimed on objectives defined by the national Department of Health and can therefore be of interest for other Italian regions. Modular construction permits flexible application ad adaptation to less complex information systems. Part of this system is since 1977 part of routine information flux in Emilia Romagna.