RANZCP elections: What becomes of the disengaged?

Abstract

scores and higher levels of inpatient referrals under the clinical than the integrated staffing model.Our re-analysis suggests that clinical staffing model CCUs may work with consumers experiencing more severe impairment than those operating the integrated staffing model. Significant differences between the consumer profile under the partnership configuration and the other approaches were not identified. Possibly, reduced 24-hour clinical staff availability under the integrated model may limit rehabilitation access for people with the highest support needs. Alternatively, the integrated staffing model may limit these services from being used as a step-down from acute inpatient care. However, many other factors could account for the observed differences that cannot be considered based on the available data. These include systematic bias in ratings of the routine outcome measures between models (i.e., who is completing the HoNOS and LSP-16), different referral patterns, and differences in the broader mental health support system in which the CCUs operate. More research is urgently needed to ensure decisions about the staffing of CCUs are evidence-informed.