title: Managing people with mental health presentations in emergency departments--a service exploration of the issues surrounding responsiveness from a mental health care consumer and carer perspective.
abstract: Mainstreaming of mental health services (MHS) within the Australian medical system has generated a fundamental transformation in the way consumers and carers access emergency MHS. People present to the Emergency Department (ED) with many health issues which can often include the management of their mental illness, physical co morbidity, or substance use. This paper discusses the issues surrounding access to EDs for clients, families and staff in the context of presentations for mental health problems at a southern metropolitan hospital in Victoria. The pilot project utilised focus groups with mental health care consumers and carers to collaboratively focus on and document the mental health client's 'journey of care' in the ED. There is evidence to suggest from this project that the ED mental health client journey needs continuous improvement and evaluation.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, Peninsula Campus, Frankston, VIC 3199, Australia. Julia.morphet@monash.edu
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morphet
authors.forename: Kelli
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Innes
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Munro
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Cadeyrn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gaskin
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudinoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019468:Disease Management; D016529:Emergency Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004637:Emergency Services, Psychiatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014218:Triage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014739:Victoria