Analysis · Health
When Shared Mental Health Teams Cannot Share Their Records
By AWEI · AI-compiled · Published · Analysis prepared · 1 source · doi.org
Some mental health workers had to extend their working day to get access to a computer. That concrete obstacle emerged in a 2011 study by Ruth Belling and colleagues for the ECHO Group, examining what helped or hindered continuity of care in community mental health services.
The researchers interviewed 113 professionals, managers and voluntary organisation representatives in 2005–2006. Participants were randomly sampled in proportions reflecting professional groups across two NHS mental health trusts in greater London, covering eight adult community teams and associated services. Researchers transcribed the interviews and systematically organised accounts into themes using framework analysis.
One revealing finding concerned information sharing. Bringing health and social care staff into integrated teams left them dealing with incompatible record systems, limited equipment and difficulties using software. Participants described these as barriers to recording and communicating information. Meanwhile, regular meetings and working in the same location were perceived to help information flow.
Continuity also depended on who remained available. Participants linked stable staffing with sustained relationships, while vacancies, temporary staffing, heavy caseloads and paperwork threatened time with service users. Some professionals worried about taking on duties beyond their training. Combining disciplines within a team could therefore create demands that organisational integration alone did not resolve.
These were staff accounts of perceived influences, not an experiment establishing causes or measuring the benefits of particular fixes. The paper’s interview sample did not include service users or administrative staff, and 31% of those sampled declined participation. Findings from two London-area trusts cannot automatically describe other places or present-day services.
The practical value is a set of concrete questions for examining support gaps: can staff access and pass on records, maintain relationships, and perform assigned duties with adequate preparation? The authors recommended improvements in technology, staffing support and training; this study did not test whether those changes improved care.
Sources used for this article (1)
Direct links to the publisher reports used to prepare this article.
- Source 1
- Achieving Continuity of Care: Facilitators and Barriers in Community Mental Health Teams the ECHO Group, Ruth Belling, Margaret Whittock …
