Quality Improvement Project to Co-Produce Effective Triangulated Communication Between Inpatient Psychiatric Team, Community Mental Health Teams, Patients and Carers to Help Patient Involvement and Positive Step Down Discharge Planning

AIMS: The aim of the QI project was to promote patient involvement, choice and recovery using effective communication and collaborative planning. To achieve this, we aimed to ensure that patient's voice remained central to the decision making process in meetings . Using 5-Why QI methodology, the MDT of Delfryn-House—a private 28-bedded rehabilitation unit, reviewed the communication interruptions between the internal and external CMHT (especially after the pandemic), which in turn was hampering patients’ progress towards positive discharge. It was also noticed that patients' attendance was significantly dropped and they were not showing interest in their CPA/CTP meetings, as they were not seeing any benefits of them. The MDT planned the project to improve the communication for continuity of care and to have better involvement of patients, their families and external teams. METHODS: The Intervention project, based on QI model-of-improvement, established that effective communication was the main aim, to be achieved with new change ideas. The outcomes were both qualitatively and quantitatively measured e.g.using feedback questionnaires from CMHT and patients and carers, attendance and discussion of discharge goals for the admitted patients. Driver diagrams were used for change ideas e.g. Microsoft teams invites to all teams for the patient review and care plan review meetings, MDT adding the progress feedback to the patient review meeting proforma to be shared internally and externally prior to the meetings, informing the care coordinators prior to change in Mental health act status, same day email to CCOs about medication changes, incidents, safeguarding, and ensuring discharge goals are discussed at every meeting. Satisfaction surveys to the CMHTs and patients were conducted pre- and post-intervention. Qualitative data were collated, helping to generate quantitative statistical analysis of the satisfaction ratings. The attendance of meetings and positive discharge from the unit were also used to measure the outcomes. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in both commissioners and CMHT's satisfaction of improved communication from Delfryn House. There was increase in attendance (44% by patients, 20% by carers, 64%by CMHT and 40% by Commissioners). There was increase (45%) in patients reading and signing their care plans. A notable increase in positive stepdown discharge plans were noted, however, as the QI project was run in a rehabilitation unit requiring longer admissions, there were not many actual discharges to show a noticeable difference. CONCLUSION: The QI-project helped in establishing clearer pathways towards positive discharge and continuity of care, signifying the importance of effective communication between teams and co-producing the care plans and meeting agendas with the patients and their carers.