scholarly journals Successful provision of emergency mental health care to rural and remote New South Wales: an evaluation of the Mental Health Emergency Care–Rural Access Program

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Saurman ◽  
David Lyle ◽  
David Perkins ◽  
Russell Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Emergency Mental Health ◽  
Rural And Remote Areas ◽  
Service Activity ◽  
Rural Access ◽  
Access Program

Objective To evaluate a rural emergency telepsychiatry program, the Mental Health Emergency Care–Rural Access Program (MHEC-RAP), which aims to improve access to emergency mental health care for communities throughout western New South Wales (NSW). Methods A descriptive analysis of service activity data from the introduction of the MHEC-RAP in 2008 to 2011 using Chi-squared tests and linear regression modelling to assess change and trends over time. Result There were 55 959 calls to the MHEC-RAP, 9678 (17%) of these calls initiated an MHEC-RAP service (~2500 each year). The use of video assessment increased over 18 months, then levelled off to an average of 65 each month. Health care provider use increased from 54% to 75% of all contacts, and 49% of MHEC-RAP patients were triaged ‘urgent’. Most (71%) were referred from the MHEC-RAP for outpatient care with a local provider. The proportion of MHEC-RAP patients admitted to hospital initially increased by 12%, then declined over the next 2 years by 7% (by 28% for admissions to a mental health inpatient unit (MHIPU)). Conclusion The MHEC-RAP is well established. It has achieved acceptable levels of service activity and continues to be as used as intended. Further research is required to confirm how the MHEC-RAP works in terms of process and capacity, how it has changed access to mental health care and to document its costs and benefits. What is known about the topic? Rural and remote communities have poorer access to and use of mental health services. Telehealth care is a reliable and accepted means for providing non-urgent mental health care. What does this paper add? The MHEC-RAP is a practical and transferable solution to providing specialist emergency mental health care, and support for local providers, in rural and remote areas via telehealth. There is a possible impact upon the problem of recruiting and retaining a mental health workforce in rural and remote areas. What are the implications for practitioners? Providing reliable remote access to specialist mental health assessment and advice while supporting providers in rural communities can result in better outcomes for patients and services alike.

Disaster Management in Rural and Remote Primary Health Care: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-369
Author(s):  
Katie A. Willson ◽  
Gerard J. FitzGerald ◽  
David Lim
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Primary Health

AbstractObjective:This scoping review aims to map the roles of rural and remote primary health care professionals (PHCPs) during disasters.Introduction:Disasters can have catastrophic impacts on society and are broadly classified into natural events, man-made incidents, or a mixture of both. The PHCPs working in rural and remote communities face additional challenges when dealing with disasters and have significant roles during the Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery (PPRR) stages of disaster management.Methods:A Johanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology was utilized, and the search was conducted over seven electronic databases according to a priori protocol.Results:Forty-one papers were included and sixty-one roles were identified across the four stages of disaster management. The majority of disasters described within the literature were natural events and pandemics. Before a disaster occurs, PHCPs can build individual resilience through education. As recognized and respected leaders within their community, PHCPs are invaluable in assisting with disaster preparedness through being involved in organizations’ planning policies and contributing to natural disaster and pandemic surveillance. Key roles during the response stage include accommodating patient surge, triage, maintaining the health of the remaining population, instituting infection control, and ensuring a team-based approach to mental health care during the disaster. In the aftermath and recovery stage, rural and remote PHCPs provide long-term follow up, assisting patients in accessing post-disaster support including delivery of mental health care.Conclusion:Rural and remote PHCPs play significant roles within their community throughout the continuum of disaster management. As a consequence of their flexible scope of practice, PHCPs are well-placed to be involved during all stages of disaster, from building of community resilience and contributing to early alert of pandemics, to participating in the direct response when a disaster occurs and leading the way to recovery.

The Effect of a Dedicated Psychiatric Team to Pediatric Emergency Mental Health Care

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. e121-e128 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. Sheridan ◽  
John Sheridan ◽  
Kyle P. Johnson ◽  
Amber Laurie ◽  
Allyson Knapper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Emergency Mental Health

scholarly journals Aeromedical retrievals of people for mental health care and the low level of clinical support in rural and remote Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 211 (8) ◽  
pp. 351-356 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fergus W Gardiner ◽  
Mathew Coleman ◽  
Narcissus Teoh ◽  
Abby Harwood ◽  
Neil T Coffee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Rural And Remote ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Clinical Support

Emergency Mental Health Care in an HMO

1986 ◽  
Vol 3 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 137-155
Author(s):  
Geraldine Koppenaal ◽  
Jane Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Emergency Mental Health

scholarly journals Better access to psychology services in primary mental health care: an evaluation

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjyot Vagholkar ◽  
Lesley Hare ◽  
Iqbal Hasan ◽  
Nicholas Zwar ◽  
David Perkins
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
General Practice ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
New South ◽  
Psychological Services ◽  
South Wales ◽  
The University ◽  
Program Data

Introduction: The Access to Allied Psychological Services program was introduced as part of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care initiative in 2001?2002. Divisions of General Practice are funded to establish programs that allow GPs to refer patients for psychological treatments. The University of New South Wales evaluated programs run by the Southern Highlands and Illawarra Divisions of General Practice. This paper presents the findings of these evaluations. Method: Both evaluations analysed process and patient outcomes. This was obtained from a combination of program data and qualitative satisfaction data. Results: The two program models differed in the mechanism of retention of the psychologists and the method of referral of patients. Anxiety and depression were the main reasons for referral, and clinical data showed there was improvement in patient outcomes. Patients, GPs and psychologists expressed satisfaction with the programs. Discussion: The Access to Allied Psychological Services programs in both Divisions have proven popular. Flexibility in the program structure allows Divisions to develop a model which suits their local circumstances. There is support for ongoing Commonwealth funding and the challenge is to find the most effective and financially sustainable model of delivery for psychological services in primary care.

Information sharing and risk: a survey of psychiatrists

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 94-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larkin Feeney ◽  
Paul Moran
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Medical Model ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Emergency Mental Health ◽  
Alert Message ◽  
Health Assessments ◽  
Multidisciplinary Model

AbstractObjectives: Historical information is central to decision making in mental health care. Clinical information in the Irish mental health services is currently mostly paper based. Mental health care in Ireland has moved from an institutional medical model towards a community based multidisciplinary model in recent years. This change has resulted in a dispersal of information between multiple sites and professionals, rendering it less accessible, particularly in emergency settings.This study sought to find out if psychiatrists working in Ireland were experiencing information problems, their ideas about and attitudes towards electronic solutions to these problems, and their views as to what particular pieces of information are indispensable in emergency mental health assessments.Method: A questionnaire was designed to answer these questions and sent to a representative sample of 150 psychiatrists working in Ireland.Results: One hundred and nineteen questionnaires (79.3%) were returned complete. Of the 119 respondents 98(82.4%) stated that they had performed emergency mental health assessments within the past year without access to key information and 79(66.4%) said they would have made different decisions in some cases had they had all the available information. Information deficits were particularly apparent in liaison and forensic psychiatry.Of the respondents 110(92.4%) stated that they would welcome an electronic database designed to support emergency mental health assessments. Misgivings were expressed regarding forms of consent, data quality, breach of confidentiality, resources and much more. Risk factors (ie. self-harm potential), a high alert message and medication details were the data items thought to be most critical.Conclusions: A shareable set of essential pieces of information (a minimum data set) would offer a balance between patient safety, confidentiality and shareability. A wider debate about solutions to the information deficits in mental health care in Ireland needs to take place among all stakeholders so that this idea can be moved forward.

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