Percentage of post-discharge community care within 7 days following discharge from acute specialised mental health inpatient services

Rationale

In 2022, one in four (6.6 million) Australians reported having a mental or behavioural condition. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure effective and appropriate care is provided not only in a hospital setting but also in the community. 

Discharge from hospital is a critical transition point in the delivery of mental health care. People leaving hospital after an admission for an episode of mental illness have increased vulnerability and, without adequate follow up, may relapse or be readmitted. 

The standard underlying the measure is that continuity of care requires prompt community follow-up in the period following discharge from hospital. A responsive community support system for persons who have experienced a psychiatric episode requiring hospitalisation is essential to maintain their clinical and functional stability and to minimise the need for hospital readmissions. Patients leaving hospital after a psychiatric admission with a formal discharge plan that includes links with public community based services and support are less likely to need avoidable hospital readmissions.

Note: This indicator is reported by calendar year. Some indicators are reported by calendar year to allow for delays associated with the clinical coding of medical records, data quality checking, data linkage processing, and the setting of targets in accordance with the Government Budget Statement.

Target

The 2024 target percentage of post-discharge community care within seven days following discharge from acute specialised mental health inpatient services is ≥75.0 per cent. Improved or maintained performance is demonstrated by a result equal to or above target.

Results

Commentary

Over the past 4 years, EMHS has consistently exceeded the 75% target. This result demonstrates our commitment to connecting with our mental health consumers within a week of being discharged from hospital, to assist them through a key period of transition of care. 

EMHS has developed a real-time 7-day follow-up dashboard to enhance mental health data quality and support accurate recording of follow-up contacts by staff. The dashboard improves visibility for staff, enabling timely action, supporting compliance, and driving continuous improvement in follow-up care.