Routine Outcome Measurement in Mental Health: Feasibility for Examining Effectiveness of an NGO

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of using routine public mental health outcome data to measure the effectiveness of a non government organization (NGO), specifically Pioneer Clubhouse. Method: We retrieved data from the NSW Mental Health Outcomes and Assessment Tools (MH-OAT) database, for 31 participants who joined Pioneer Clubhouse, NSW, in 2007. Data were also sought for 31 matched control participants from within the same Area Health Service. Data collected from the adult MH-OAT instruments, Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS), Kessler-10 (K-10) and Abbreviated Life Skills Profile-16 (LSP-16), was retrieved for 13 weeks prior to joining date and compared with 13 weeks of data 6 months after joining. Results: Twenty-four Clubhouse members were registered in the MH-OAT database. Only one of the 24 participants had data for both time periods requested. MH-OAT data collection was insufficient to allow their use for measuring effectiveness of a NGO. Conclusion: Despite the National Mental Health Plan emphasis, and extensive and expensive support for routine data collection in public mental health services, such data collection has been unsuccessful. We discuss possible reasons for this.