Department of Health

Measuring outcomes in mental health services

Measuring the health outcomes of consumers in mental health services is critical to ensure that every consumer continually benefits from the treatment and care they receive.

Victoria has been a leader in the adoption and adaptation of world-leading outcome measures that enable clinicians to monitor the progress of individual consumers, to engage consumers and carers in treatment decisions, and to ensure the continuing improvement of overall service quality.

Under the National Mental Health Plan, all clinical mental health services in Victoria must routinely submit consumer outcome ratings through a national collection protocol known as the National Outcomes and Casemix Collection (NOCC). The NOCC provides a coherent picture of mental health outcomes in each state and territory, which can be used to measure clinical effectiveness across different service sectors and age cohorts.

Measuring outcomes in clinical mental health services

Consumer outcomes are regularly measured by public mental health services to ensure better results.

Mental health outcome measures used in Victoria

A range of outcome measures are used to rate the mental health of people at key points of service delivery.

Measuring outcomes - practice guide for clinicians

Victoria has been a national leader in the development of resources to help mental health clinicians measure and monitor the health outcomes of consumers, and ensure continuing improvements in service delivery.

Measuring mental health outcomes – assessments

Outcome measures form a central part of any assessment of a mental health consumer.

Measuring mental health outcomes – care plans

The collection of accurate and consistent consumer outcome measures is critical for the planning, implementation and review of care plans.

Measuring mental health outcomes – clinical reviews

All active consumers of clinical mental health services must have a clinical review at least once every 3 months.

Measuring mental health outcomes – documentation

Accurate documentation of consumer outcomes is critical for planning, implementation and monitoring effective mental health care.

Measuring outcomes – policies and procedures

Internal policies and procedures on collecting and using consumer outcomes helps mental health services deliver effective treatment and care.

Measuring outcomes – frequently asked questions

The department has developed consumer FAQs about outcome measurement.

Outcome measures - engaging consumers and carers

The participation of consumers and carers is critical to the development and delivery of effective mental healthcare.

Reviewed 28 May 2015

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