Meaningful information or a bureaucratic exercise? Exploring the value of routine outcome measurement in mental health.

Routine outcome measures have been introduced into mental health services throughout Australia, with the ultimate aim of developing standards for service delivery, and a means to determine the extent to which these standards are being realised in practice. Criticism that the existing measures are not reflecting the aspects of mental health care and treatment considered important by the consumers of those services is common and widespread. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility, effectiveness, and assumptions underlying routine outcome measures used by Victorian mental health services from the perspective of service users. Two focus group interviews were conducted with consumer members of a group known as Psych. Action and Training (a group of consumers and senior nurses with a commitment to consumer participation). The findings demonstrated criticism of the outcome measures routinely used in Victoria. The three main themes to emerge were: assumptions behind routine outcome measures; consumer concerns with routine outcome measures; and consumer perspective: purpose, process and principles.