Special Projects

AMHOCN has undertaken special projects on carer outcome mesaurement and the development of clinical prompts related to the NOCC measures.

Development of the Life in the Community Questionnaire

The Training and Service Development component of the Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN TSD) has been funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing to develop a consumer self report measure that focuses on aspects of social inclusion and recovery. A Technical Advisory Group has been involved in the development of the measure, now known as the Life in the Community Questionnaire (LCQ), and consultations on the first draft were held earlier this year across various jurisdictions.

AMHOCN TSD has undertaken a proof of concept trial for the Life in the Community Questionnaire which aimed to better understand how the measure performs in clinical practice. This proof of concept work has been gathering the views of a small number of clinicians and consumers on the measure, including ease of use, usefulness and anything that may be lacking from a clinician or consumer perspective when considering social inclusion and personal recovery. This proof of concept work is seen as a necessary step in the development of the measure prior to larger and more detailed field testing.

AMHOCN also sought feedback about the measure across the broader mental health sector. Advice and comments received about the LCQ will be incorporated into a report by AMHOCN TSD to be sent to the Mental Health Information Strategy SubCommittee to inform the next stage of work on this measure.

We will keep you updated on the development process for the LCQ via our AMHOCN website.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact: Tim Coombs or Rosemary Dickson.

Benchmarking

During 2006 – 2008, AMHOCN facilitated the National Mental Health Benchmarking Project and continue to facilitate benchmarking activities for Forensic Mental Health Services Benchmarking across Australia.

Clinical Prompts Project

During late 2007 – early 2008, AMHOCN undertook a project to establish the feasibility of linking clinical prompts to scores on the NOCC routine outcome measures; and the subsequent development of a library of clinical prompts to be potentially incorporated into the Web Decision Support Tool (wDST), or other information systems. Through a process of consultation with clinical reference groups, consumers and carers, eight sets of prompts linked to the NOCC measures in differing ways were developed, creating a matrix of prompts when combined. The primary focus of the prompts is to assist the supervision of junior mental health clinicians, but with recognition of a significant potential wider group of users including consumers and carers. Download the Clinical Prompts Final Report.

Carer Outcomes Measures Project

During late 2007 – early 2008, AMHOCN undertook a project which involved a scoping exercise, designed to explore the context within which carer outcome measurement might be introduced and to identify any candidate instruments. The project focused on carers of adults with mental illness (not children/adolescents or older persons). It examined instruments that consider carer burden, wellbeing and need – but did not focus on instruments that elicit carers’ perspectives of consumers’ symptomatology and level of functioning. An extensive literature review and a broad consultation process assisted in the identification of two instruments that might serve the purpose of routine carer outcome measurement with some modification. However, the introduction of an instrument to routinely measure outcomes for carers was seen as neither practical nor feasible at this time, and should only occur in the context of implementing a range of initiatives designed to improve carer outcomes. The carer-specific standard in the revised National Standards for Mental Health Services was highlighted as a context for these efforts. Download the project’s report: Carer outcome measurement in mental health services: Scoping the field.