title: The Western Norway mental health interface study: a controlled intervention trial on referral letters between primary care and specialist mental health care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Referral letters are the main communication means between Primary and Specialised Mental Health Care. However, studies of referral letters reveal that they lack important information, and how this lack of information affects the care for patients is unknown. This study aims to explore if and to what degree the quality of referral letters within Mental Health Care for adults can be improved and the potential improvement's impact on defined patient, professional and organisational related outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A controlled study with pre and post test will be prepared and accomplished to explore the correlation between the content of referral letters and outcomes of the care for the referred patients. The study is performed in accordance with the guideline of the Medical Research Council on development and evaluation of complex interventions. Using a mixed method design, a stepwise model will be conducted: Firstly, process and outcome measures will be developed and tested. Secondly, by these measures, the results from an intervention group of General Practitioners (GPs) who receive a complex quality improvement intervention will be compared with results from a control group who perform "care as usual". Compliance to the introduced guideline will be measured as a mediator.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Western Norway Mental Health Interface Study is among the first trials to evaluate the impact of the quality of referral letters on the organization of care. This study will provide information that will be usable for healthcare managers and clinicians in both Primary and Specialised Care settings.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01374035.
authors.affiliation: Research network of Integrated Care in Western Norway, Helse Fonna HF, Haugesund, Norway. miriam.hartveit@sevu.uib.no
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hartveit
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biringer
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vanhaeht
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haug
authors.forename: Aslak
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aslaksen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D009664:Norway; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
references.citation: Eval Health Prof. 2012 Mar;35(1):28-42
references.pmid: 21708891
references.citation: Ugeskr Laeger. 2000 Jan 31;162(5):648-53
references.pmid: 10707597
references.citation: BMJ. 2008 Sep 29;337:a1655
references.pmid: 18824488
references.citation: J Nurs Manag. 2006 Oct;14(7):553-63
references.pmid: 17004966
references.citation: J Interprof Care. 2007 Mar;21(2):207-16
references.pmid: 17365393
references.citation: Int J Qual Health Care. 2003 Dec;15(6):509-21
references.pmid: 14660534
references.citation: Community Ment Health J. 2009 Aug;45(4):255-9
references.pmid: 19452275
references.citation: J Gen Intern Med. 2000 Sep;15(9):626-31
references.pmid: 11029676
references.citation: Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2005 Oct 20;125(20):2815-7
references.pmid: 16244691
references.citation: Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2007 Apr 19;127(8):1049-52
references.pmid: 17457391
references.citation: Australas Psychiatry. 2006 Dec;14(4):395-8
references.pmid: 17116079
references.citation: Ann Intern Med. 2003 Feb 4;138(3):161-7
references.pmid: 12558354
references.citation: BMJ. 2000 Sep 16;321(7262):694-6
references.pmid: 10987780
references.citation: Eval Health Prof. 2011 Sep;34(3):258-77
references.pmid: 21190951
references.citation: J Eval Clin Pract. 2007 Dec;13(6):920-9
references.pmid: 18070263
references.citation: Int J Integr Care. 2003 Oct 07;3:e01
references.pmid: 16896423
references.citation: Br J Gen Pract. 1991 Aug;41(349):332-4
references.pmid: 1777279
references.citation: BMC Health Serv Res. 2011 Apr 11;11:72
references.pmid: 21481236
references.citation: BMC Health Serv Res. 2007 Aug 24;7:133
references.pmid: 17718921
references.citation: Psychosomatics. 2000 May-Jun;41(3):245-52
references.pmid: 10849457
references.citation: J Eval Clin Pract. 2009 Oct;15(5):782-8
references.pmid: 19811589
references.citation: Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Mar 17;(3):CD006632
references.pmid: 20238347
references.citation: Br J Gen Pract. 1997 Aug;47(421):503-4
references.pmid: 9302791