Seclusion rate, 2018

Collection and usage attributes

Coverage/Scope:

State/territory public acute admitted patient mental health service units in-scope for reporting in accordance with the Mental health seclusion and restraint (SECREST) National best endeavours data set (NBEDS).

Methodology:

Reference period for 2018 performance reporting: 2017–18

• Seclusion and restraint data are compiled by state/territory data providers according to the specifications of the SECREST NBEDS. As such, data are subject to the concepts and definitions developed for the data set.
• For the purpose of this indicator, when a mental health service organisation has more than 1 unit of a particular admitted patient care program, those units should be combined.

(Numerator ÷ Denominator) x 1,000

Total number of seclusion events

Total number of accrued mental health care days.

Service variables: target population, remoteness.

Consumer attributes: nil.

This indicator is the same as Seclusion rate, 2018 in Key Performance Indicators for Australian Public Mental Health Services (Jurisdictional level version) (2018).

Representational attributes

N[NN].N

Indicator conceptual framework

Accountability attributes

State/territory level

To construct this indicator at a national level requires separate indicator data to be provided individually by states and territories.

National collection of seclusion and restraint data is being progressed through the establishment of the SECREST NBEDS, with data supplied by state/territories via an ongoing agreement facilitated by the Safety and Quality Partnership Standing Committee, which is a subcommittee, of the Mental Health Principal Committee.

• The use of seclusion is governed by either legislation (a Mental Health Act or equivalent) or mandatory policy within each state and territory. The definitions used within the legislation and policies vary between jurisdictions. These variations should be recognised in the interpretation of the indicator.
• The duration of seclusion is an essential piece of information to align with an indicator of the rate or frequency of seclusion as it provides a better understanding of an organisation’s performance in relation to seclusion use and management. However, the capacity to collect information regarding duration of seclusion episodes varies substantially across jurisdictions. Work continues at a national level that will facilitate the development of a meaningful indicator of duration as it is likely to be easily skewed by outliers.

Source and reference attributes

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on behalf of the National Mental Health Performance Subcommittee

NMHPC (National Mental Health Performance Subcommittee) 2013. Key Performance Indicators for Australian Public Mental Health Services, 3rd edn. Canberra: NMHPC.

NMHWG (National Mental Health Working Group) 2005. National safety priorities in mental health: a national plan for reducing harm. Canberra: Health Priorities and Suicide Prevention Branch, Department of Health and Ageing, Commonwealth of Australia.

Relational attributes