Expensive detour or a way forward? The experience of routine outcome measurement in an aged care psychiatry service.

OBJECTIVE

This paper describes and reflects upon the experience of a small, integrated aged care psychiatry service that has utilized the National Outcomes Casemix Collection (NOCC) routine outcome measurements within clinical practice, service management and evaluation. The goals of the NOCC initiative are reviewed in light of this experience.

CONCLUSION

Routine outcome measurement has the potential to significantly improve aged care psychiatric service delivery. The service described has developed a model that the authors believe demonstrates the potential for routine outcome measures to improve the monitoring of patient progress, care planning, team communication, management and the understanding of service effectiveness - goals that are consistent with NOCC philosophy. However, this requires both ongoing development of infrastructure support and the willingness of clinicians to explore their utility.