With the first services now using AEPCC’s Clinical Quality Registry (CQR), we have turned our attention to developing clinical quality indicators (CQI).
The CQR will gather client and service data, and the CQIs will define what is reported to improve clinical practice.
Professor Andy Thompson, who leads AEPCC, said:
“These measures will allow us to understand variation in clinical practice, what treatments work well, what doesn’t, and for whom.”
“By keeping track of these indicators, the early psychosis sector can ensure that people experiencing early psychosis receive the best possible care. CQIs support clinical services to continue to improve interventions.”
How are the CQIs being developed?
To develop the CQIs, the CQR Steering Committee is reviewing current evidence and recommendations on current CQIs in early psychosis research globally, as well as looking at CQIs used by CQRs in other areas of health.
“There is a need for a mix of measures unique to early psychosis services and general mental health care. We need to use indicators that look at process rather than outcomes,” Professor Thompson said.
“Several areas have been identified as potential CQIs, including antipsychotic prescribing, engagement with services, hospitalisations (or readmissions), and duration of untreated psychosis.”
Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) is a marker of how accessible a service is to a person with early psychosis, which is strongly related to their outcome, given the importance of early intervention. The current Australian average for DUP is 28 weeks, and the median is eight weeks from limited available data.* Further data from the CQR will allow us to define an appropriate national benchmark. A long DUP is a marker of system difficulties.
CQIs will be rolled out in the third quarter of 2025 once we have enough data from the initial clinical sites using the CQR to test the CQIs.
CQR expansion
Next year, AEPCC will also roll out the CQR in five to six new clinical sites in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. This expansion is part of our recent funding from the MRFF that will enable AEPCC to implement the CQR in 20 additional early psychosis sites over the next four years.
“We want to reflect Australia’s geographical and cultural variance in the sites we partner with. This is a great opportunity for services to engage in communities of practice and knowledge sharing,” Professor Thompson said.
If you are interested in using the CQR at your clinical site, please email Jo Fitzsimons at [email protected]
* Salazar de Pablo, G. et al. (2024) ‘What is the duration of untreated psychosis worldwide? – A meta-analysis of pooled mean and median time and regional trends and other correlates across 369 studies’, Psychological Medicine, 54(4), pp. 652–662. doi:10.1017/S0033291723003458.
