The effect of guidance in the use of routine outcome measures in clinical meetings.

Routine outcome measures (ROM) have now been introduced into all Australian public mental health services, but experience suggests that many clinical staff lack expertise in using them. In 2005 under the Quality Through Outcomes Network (QUATRO), the Victorian Department of Human Services set up three teams aimed at consolidating the use of ROM and furthering sustainability through a variety of peer-support activities. We report on an initiative undertaken by one of these teams. QUATRO team members attended team meetings of four adult community teams (three metropolitan and one rural) fortnightly over about 3 months. QUATRO staff contributed to discussion of outcome measures during routine clinical review, using local and national outcome measurement data and tools, and their own expertise. Attitudes of clinicians toward ROM in general and the specific instruments were assessed at the beginning and end of the period, and again after about 5 months. Qualitative findings consist of observations of factors that assist and hinder use of ROM. The initiative identified steps that staff can take to make ROM more useful in their work.