Abstract
Aim: To improve team work through joint development of clinical processes between regional, rural community mental health teams and rural hospitals using Lean philosophy. Background: There was lack of clarity of the roles and responsibilities of staff in the admission of mental health consumers in rural hospitals and in their transfer to regional acute mental health inpatient unit. This resulted in cross departmental animosity in Central Queensland health services which further led to compromised provision of consumer care. The impetus of this paper; therefore, is to present the application of Lean to the admission process in rural mental healthcare services as well as transfer to the regional acute inpatient unit in order to enhance teamwork and supportive working environment to improve consumer outcomes. Methods: The study utilized a qualitative approach where an online survey monkey was used to capture an in-depth understanding of the perceptions and experiences of the hospital and mental health staff pre- and post-implementation of the new processes. Key results: The participants reported improved collaborative working among the staff which resulted in more effective care provision for mental health consumers. Conclusion: Lean philosophy was successfully applied in creating effective administrative and clinical processes in rural and remote mental health services. Joint development of procedures and processes enhanced adherence to standards, improved teamwork and, consequently, ameliorated consumer outcomes.
Highlights
IntroductionThe lack of clarity of the roles and responsibility of staff in the admission of mental health consumers in rural hospitals and their transfer to regional acute mental health inpatient unit resulted in cross departmental animosity in Central Queensland health services
There are no national or state-wide initiatives that have been developed and systematically implemented to comprehensively address issues of access, appropriateness of care and accountability in rural hospitals for mental health consumers [1]
The lack of clarity of the roles and responsibility of staff in the admission of mental health consumers in rural hospitals and their transfer to regional acute mental health inpatient unit resulted in cross departmental animosity in Central Queensland health services
Summary
The lack of clarity of the roles and responsibility of staff in the admission of mental health consumers in rural hospitals and their transfer to regional acute mental health inpatient unit resulted in cross departmental animosity in Central Queensland health services. These two processes were compromised by challenges such as. Transfer of mental health consumers from Central Queensland rural and remote areas to the regional acute mental health inpatient unit was challenging. Sustainable solutions to meet the challenges of mental health admissions and transfers, as well as increasing capacity, require adequate analysis of the processes. Identification of clinical process steps from admission to discharge from the facility, either to an inpatient acute mental health facility or back to the community, was necessary before any solutions could be implemented
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