[Quality of mental health services: a self audit in the South Verona mental health service].
OBJECTIVE
To start a process of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in an Italian Community Mental Health Service by using a quality assurance questionnaire in a self audit exercise.


METHODS
The questionnaire was administered to 14 key workers and clinical managers with different roles and seniority. One senior manager's evaluation was used as a benchmark for all the others. Changes were introduced in the service practice according to what emerged from the evaluation. Meetings were scheduled to monitor those changes and renew the CQI process.


RESULTS
There was a wide difference in the key workers' answers. Overall, the senior manager's evaluation was on the 60th percentile of the distribution of the other evaluations. Those areas that required prompt intervention were risk management, personnel development, and CQI. The CQI process was followed up for one year: some interventions were carried out to change the practice of the service.


CONCLUSIONS
A self audit exercise in Community Mental Health Services was both feasible and useful. The CQI process was easier to start than to carry on over the long term.
Allevi
Liliana
L
Dipartimento di Medicina e Sanità Pubblica, Sezione di Psichiatria e Psicologia Clinica, Università di Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy.
Salvi
Giovanni
G
Ruggeri
Mirella
M
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008485:Medical Audit; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D020377:Self Efficacy