What is a POMH-UK
'Topic'?
POMH-UK identifies specific topics within mental health
prescribing practice, based on recommendations by member Trusts and
partner organisations. For each topic, we develop and run a
QIP: a clinical audit cycle, with customised change interventions,
to help member organisations measure and improve quality in that
area of practice.
What is 'clinical audit'?
“Clinical audit is a quality improvement process that seeks to
improve patient care and outcomes through systematic review of care
against explicit criteria and the implementation of change. Aspects
of the structure, processes, and outcomes of care are selected and
systematically evaluated against each explicit criterion. Where
indicated, changes are implemented at an individual, team, or
service level and further monitoring is used to confirm improvement
in healthcare delivery”. Principles for Best Practice in Clinical
Audit, National Institute of Clinical Excellence (2002).
Clinical audit is different from research. Clinical audit should
of course always be conducted ethically with consideration to the
same principles as ethical research, but it does not require formal
review/approval from a Research Ethics Committee because it is not
research. The Royal College of Psychiatrists' Centre for Quality
Improvement (CCQI) has produced a brief document Ethical Audit at the CCQI explaining
the relevant differences between clinical audit, service evaluation
and research.
What is a POMH-UK 'quality
improvement intervention'?
In order to stimulate improvements in practice, POMH-UK develops a
range of quality improvement interventions for each Topic. Trusts
select as many of these as they wish to implement for any Topic
they are participating in. Some examples of interventions developed
by POMH-UK (both Topic-specific and general) to date are: educative
and awareness raising posters for both clinical and service user
audiences; educational slide sets with speakers notes for delivery
by local champions; practical workbooks for clinical staff; a
practical workshop on change management; and practical development
sessions on specific prescribing Topics. POMH-UK interventions are
NOT clinical interventions or treatments.
How are POMH-UK Topics
selected?
The criteria for adopting QIP topics are:
- Relevant to the implementation of particular NICE
guideline(s);
- High cost, high volume, or high risk treatment
- Seen as a clinical priority for Trusts nationally by
clinicians
- Seen as a clinical priority for Trusts nationally by service
users
- Change in practice that achieves the standards is likely to
have a positive impact on clinical care and outcomes
- Likely variation in practice across Trusts
- Clear standards can be formulated that relate to prescribing
practice
- It would be practical and feasible to collect the relevant
audit data
To propose a Topic for audit and quality improvement please
contact us with details of your
suggestion including any supporting information that will help us
determine whether the topic meets the 8 criteria
above.POMH-UK members
POMH-UK Topics
We have/are undertaking QIPs on the Topics below:
Topic
1: High dose
and combined antipsychotics in acute adult inpatient settings.
We are due to run a further supplementary audit of this Topic in
2012
Topic
2: Screening for metabolic side effects of
antipsychotic drugs in patients treated by assertive outreach
teams. We are due to run a further supplementary audit of this
Topic in 2012. This audit will be opened out to cover a range of
settings
Topic 3: Prescribing
of high dose and combined antipsychotics for patients on forensic
wards. We are due to run a further supplementary audit of this
Topic in 2012
Topic
4: Benchmarking
prescribing of anti-dementia drugs.
Topic 5:
Benchmarking the prescribing of high dose and combination
antipsychotics on adult acute and PICU wards (time-series monthly
benchmarking). We have now completed the third cycle of this
Topic.
Topic 6:
Assessment of side effects of depot antipsychotics. A supplementary
audit is planned for 2011
Topic 7:
Monitoring of patients prescribed lithium. Re-audit data collection
is currently underway. A supplementary audit will be held in
2011
Topic 8:
Medicines Reconciliation. Re-audit data collection will take place
in September. 2010
Topic 9: Use
of antipsychotic medication in people with a learning disability.
Re-audit data collection will take place in January 2011.
Topic
10: Prescribing antipsychotics for children and
adolescents. Re-audit data collection will take place in November
2011.
Topics currently under development to
run in 2011/2012
Topic 11: Use of
antipsychotics in dementia. Baseline data collection will take
place in March 2011.
Topic 12: Prescribing for
personality disorders. Baseline data collection will
take place in April 2012.
Member Trust Topic choices
2010
Topic choices 2009-10: let us know which QIPs your trust is
interested in participating in here
COMING SOON: Topic choices 2010-11: let us know which QIPs your
trust is interested in participating in here
Click on the links below for more information