title: Coordination of care in Australian mental health policy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review Australian mental health initiatives involving coordination of care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Commonwealth government websites were systematically searched for mental health policy documents. Database searches were also conducted using the terms 'coordination' or 'integration' and 'mental health' or 'mental illness' and 'Australia'. We assessed the extent to which informational, relational and management continuity have been addressed in three example programs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The lack of definition of coordination at the policy level reduces opportunities for developing actionable and measurable programs. Of the 51 mental health initiatives identified, the three examples studied all demonstrated some use of the dimensions of continuity to facilitate coordination. However, problems with funding, implementation, evaluation and competing agendas between key stakeholders were barriers to improving coordination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coordination is possible and can improve both relationships between providers and care provided. However, clear leadership, governance and funding structures are needed to manage the challenges encountered, and evaluation using appropriate outcome measures, structured to assess the elements of continuity, is necessary to detect improvements in coordination.
authors.affiliation: Menzies Centre for Health Policy, Australian National University, Level 1, Ian Potter House, Cnr Gordon & Marcus Clarke Sts, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. michelle.banfield@anu.edu.au
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Banfield
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: Laurann E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Ian S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: McRae
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006079:Government Publications as Topic; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data