Using mental health outcome measures in everyday clinical practice.
OBJECTIVE
To examine clinicians' use of Mental Health Outcomes and Assessment Tools (MH-OAT), standardized clinical measures that have been introduced in NSW.


METHODS
Two separate studies are described, which examined the use of MH-OAT within two community child and family mental health service teams in Sydney.


RESULTS
It appears that clinicians are often not completing the clinician-rated measures and rarely were they requesting and/or following up clients to complete the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Further, while clinicians are reviewing the progress of their clients, they rarely use the MH-OAT data for this purpose.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinicians' lack of adherence to MH-OAT and use of MH-OAT data are discussed in terms of passive resistance and their possible perception that the process is largely irrelevant to the care of their clients.
Patterson
Pandora
P
Sydney South West Area Health Service, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Matthey
Stephen
S
Baker
Martin
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015982:Bias; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009517:New South Wales; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires