Who we are working with
The CTG Team is carrying out topic-based work
with pilot services/wards from five of the CCQI’s
networks:
- Prescribing Observatory for Mental Health (POMH);
- Accreditation for In-patient Mental Health Services - Working
Age Adults (AIMS-WA);
- Community of Communities (C of
C);
- Quality Network for In-patient Child and Adolescent Mental
Health Services (QNIC);
- Quality Network for Forensic Mental Health Services (QNFMHS)
These networks were chosen as each has been
working with mental health service providers over sustained periods
to improve quality, and has identified areas for imporvement.
Teams from the pilot services/wards will be brought together into
four collaboratives. During a ten-month period, the CTG Team
will work closely with each collaborative using the ‘Model for
Improvement’ to develop and test ways of overcoming their
particular barriers to improvement.
What we are working on
We will be focusing our work on 4 key
area for improvement:.
- POMH - screening for the metabolic side effects of
antipsychotic drugs.
- AIMS & QNFMHS - range and access to non-therapeutic
activities for patients.
- QNIC - transitions in care between in-patient and
community-based services.
- C of C - the ways in which therapeutic communities demonstrate
their effectiveness.
How we are working
Collaborative working
For each topic, 4 to 6 teams will be brought
together to form a collaborative. Each team will be made up of 4-6
representatives from the participating services.
Learning events
During the 10-month period, the teams within
each Collaborative will come together on four occasions for a
learning event. The first will be focused on the Model for
Improvement, how to apply it and developing individual action
plans. Subsequent learning events will focus on shared
learning.
Action periods
Each learning event will be followed by a
three-month action period where teams will be expected to carry out
small PDSA cycles, and collect simple on-going measures. During the
action period there will also be monthly teleconferences to review
progress, discuss challenges, and agree ways forward.
Our Approach
The Model provides a framework for developing,
testing and implementing changes leading to improvement. It
is based in scientific method and moderates the impulse to take
immediate action with the wisdom of careful study. It applies
the five principles of improvement:
1. Knowing
why you need to improve
2. Having a
feedback mechanism to tell you if the improvement is happening
3. Developing an effective change that will result in
improvement
4. Testing
a change before attempting to implement
5. Knowing
when and how to implement the change
The Model is based on three fundamental
questions:
- What are we trying to accomplish?
- How will we know that a change is an improvement?
- What changes can we make that will result in improvement?
These three questions are combined with the
Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle - the process for testing change
ideas.
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