7-day-follow-up-after-hospitalization-for-a-MHA

INDICATOR NAME

Name

Follow-up after hospitalization for a mental health or addiction condition

Alternate Name

Percentage of patients aged 16 and older who were seen by a general practitioner/family physician or psychiatrist within seven days of discharge after being hospitalized for a mental illness or addiction

INDICATOR DESCRIPTION

Description

This indicator measures the percentage of psychiatric discharges that had a follow-up visit to either a primary care physician or psychiatrist, within 7 days of discharge. A higher rate is better.

HQO Reporting tool/product

Public reporting

Dimension

Effective

Type

Process

DEFINITION AND SOURCE INFORMATION

Unit of Measurement

Percentage

Calculation Methods

This indicator is calculated as: the numerator divided by the denominator, multiplied by 100

Numerator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

The number of patients who within 7 days of discharge following index hospitalization had at least one psychiatrist or primary care physician mental health visit.

Denominator (short description i.e. not inclusions/exclusions)

The number of acute care discharges from episode of care in which a mental health and addiction condition is diagnosed and is coded as most responsible diagnosis

Adjustment (risk, age/sex standardization)- generalized

Age and sex standardized

Data Source

Discharge Abstract Database (DAD), Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) Claims History Database, Ontario Mental Health Reporting System (OMHRS), Registered Persons Database (RPDB)

Data provided to HQO by

Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES)

Reported Levels of comparability /stratifications (defined)

Age, Income, Region, Rurality, Sex, Time

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

Caveats and Limitations

The rate does not capture medical services delivered in other forms of post-discharge care and by non-physician providers. (e.g., salaried physicians, community mental health programs, client based initiatives). Limitations also include potential coding errors and a lack of clinical detail.