Average cost per treatment day of non-admitted care provided by mental health services

Rationale

Public community mental health services consist of a range of community-based services such as emergency assessment and treatment, case management, day programs, rehabilitation, psychosocial, residential services and continuing care. The aim of these services is to provide the best health outcomes for the individual through the provision of accessible and appropriate community mental health care. Efficient functioning of public community mental health services is essential to ensure that finite funds are used effectively to deliver maximum community benefit.

Public community-based mental health services are generally targeted towards people in the acute phase of a mental illness who are receiving post-acute care. This indicator provides a measure of the cost-effectiveness of treatment for public psychiatric patients under public community mental health care (non-admitted/ambulatory patients).

Target

The 2021-22 target for average cost per treatment day of non-admitted care provided by mental health services is $445. Improved or maintained performance is demonstrated by a result below or equal to target.

Results

Please note: 2019-20 and 2020-21 actuals have been restated in accordance with the 2021-22 Outcome Based Management Key Performance Indicator Data Definition Manual

Commentary

EMHS has performed marginally better (by $45) against the 2021-22 target of $445 for the average cost per treatment day of non-admitted care provided by mental health services.

The increase in costs in 2021-22 relates primarily to the increased level of care services provided within a community setting, particularly as the community required higher levels of support outside of hospital settings to cope with the effects of COVID protocols. Providing increased care and care-based community services can impact a health service’s ability to perform efficiently, particularly if cost increases associated with higher levels of community care are related to general environmental cost pressures outside the health service’s immediate control.

Period: 2019-20 – 2021-22 financial years 

Contributing sites: Armadale Mental Health Service, Bentley Mental Health Service, Royal Perth Hospital (psychiatry), Specialised Aboriginal Mental Health Service, Midland Mental Health Service 

Data source: OBM allocation application; Oracle 11i financial system; Mental Health Information Data Collection (MIND)