184635 - Evaluation of mental health treatment strategies in general practice

This clinical audit quality improvement activity aims to assist GPs in evaluating their practice in relation to patients with mental health issues in order to identify opportunities for practice improvement.

Rural GPs are three times more likely to be the main provider of mental health care than any other mental health practitioner. They are exposed to a range of acute and chronic mental health presentations and can be responsible for diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of mental illness. As the front line clinicians for mental health presentations, particularly in rural areas, GPs need to be skilled in evidence based interventions to ensure that patients get the best care possible from the first presentation.

The provision of accessible and flexible training modules including expanded clinical tools, helps to address a key barrier to up-skilling for rural GPs.
This audit will enable the GP to determine patterns in the practice’s mental health patient population, assess the strategies used to treat these patients, and identify opportunities for improvement.

D1. Communication skills and the patient-doctor relationship

D2. Applied professional knowledge and skills

• Diagnosis and management is evidence-based and relevant to the needs of the patient

D3. Population health and the context of general practice

• The impacts of the social determinants of health are identified and addressed

D4. Professional and ethical role

• Reflection and self-appraisal are undertaken regularly

D5. Organisational and legal dimensions

• Relevant data is clearly documented, securely stored and appropriately shared for quality improvement

• Rural health
• Adult health
• Psychological health
• General practice research