Abstract
In managing treatment for persons with mental illness, the primary care physician (PCP) needs to communicate with mental health
(MH) professionals in various settings over time to provide appropriate management and continuity of care. However, effective
communication between PCPs and MH specialists is often poor. The present study reviewed evidence on the quality of information
transfer between PCPs and specialist MH providers for referral requests and after inpatient discharge. Twenty-three audit
studies were identified that assessed the quality of content and nine that assessed strategies to improve quality. Results
indicated that rates of item reporting were variable. Within the limited evidence on interventions to improve quality, use
of structured forms showed positive results. Follow-up work can identify a minimum set of items to include in information
transfers, along with item definitions and structures for holding this information. Then, methodologies for measuring data
quality, including electronically generated performance metrics, can be developed.
(MH) professionals in various settings over time to provide appropriate management and continuity of care. However, effective
communication between PCPs and MH specialists is often poor. The present study reviewed evidence on the quality of information
transfer between PCPs and specialist MH providers for referral requests and after inpatient discharge. Twenty-three audit
studies were identified that assessed the quality of content and nine that assessed strategies to improve quality. Results
indicated that rates of item reporting were variable. Within the limited evidence on interventions to improve quality, use
of structured forms showed positive results. Follow-up work can identify a minimum set of items to include in information
transfers, along with item definitions and structures for holding this information. Then, methodologies for measuring data
quality, including electronically generated performance metrics, can be developed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-17
- DOI 10.1007/s11414-012-9288-9
- Authors
- Janet Durbin, Health Systems and Health Equity Research Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., T314, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
- Jan Barnsley, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Brenda Finlayson, Mood and Anxiety Inpatient Unit, ECT and rTMS, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Unit 4-5, 1001 Queen St, West Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Liisa Jaakkimainen, Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), 2075 Bayview Avenue, G244, Toronto, ON M4N 3M5, Canda
- Elizabeth Lin, Health Systems and Health Equity Research Group, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell St., T314, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
- Whitney Berta, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Josephine McMurray, Ideas for Health Research Laboratory, School of Public Health and Health Systems, Faculty of Applied Health Science, University of Waterloo, 200 University Ave. W, Waterloo, ON, Canada N2L 3G1
- Journal The Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research
- Online ISSN 1556-3308
- Print ISSN 1094-3412