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Examination of processes for triage of consumers with a mental illness in a multi-site hospital and health service
Conference poster   Peer reviewed

Examination of processes for triage of consumers with a mental illness in a multi-site hospital and health service

Marc Broadbent, Amanda T Petrie, Mark Sharp, Ogilvie Thom and Gino Ricther
International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, Vol.27(Supplement 1), pp.37-38
International Mental Health Nursing Conference: Mental Health is a Human Right, 44th (Cairns, Australia, 24-Oct-2018–26-Oct-2018)
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia
2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12539
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https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12539View
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Abstract

Nursing Public Health and Health Services Psychology
AIM: It is the service users right to receive access toequitable health care independent of where theypresent. However, within large catchment areas, therecan be a disparity amongst the models of serviceprovision amongst multiple sites. As such it isimportan t to understand the function of these modelsof service. This study sought to understand theprocesses of emergency departm ent (ED) mentalhealth triage, the referral and response process and,the collaborative relationship betwee n ED staff andmental health staff; in a multi-site hospital and healthservice (HHS).METHOD: This study forms part of a larger multi-phase study exploring the triage processes, at a multi-site regional HHS. This arm of the study engaged thequalitative data drawn from interviews undertak en withtwenty-nine ED and mental health nurses working atthree different sites within the one HHS. FINDINGS: Within the multisite HHS there arethree different models of care for the triage, responseand referral for mental health consumers. This impactson the staff understanding of processes across settings,and the consumers access to equitable care independent of where they present. A consistent themeis the diverse description of integration andcollaboration between ED and mental health services.This has a direct impact on consumers access to aresponsive approach to person-centred health care.Furthermore, what has em erged from this study is thatthe barriers to an inter-speciality approach to the triageof mental health consumers, including that of referraland response at the point of triage, have not changedsignificantly to those barriers identified within the last17 years of inquiry.RECOMMENDATIONS: This research demonstratesa need to further review the ED mental health triageprocess with a view to aligning both ED and mentalhealth terminology and clinical application into theintegrative collaborative process.

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