Patients with major depression are not receiving timely access to mental health and addictions treatment following discharge from their psychiatric hospitalization on GEN B (William Osler Health System's Mood and Anxiety Adult Inpatient Unit).
This problem is not unique to GEN B, nor any specific program, hospital, or region, and in fact, many patients internationally are waiting long periods of time for mental health and addictions post-discharge community support services.
Unfortunately, as a result, many patients and family members feel frustrated and even abandoned by the health care system when care does not continue into the community in a timely manner. Moreover, when patients who are still suffering from depression deteriorate due to lack of timely community support, they often have no alternative but to revisit the hospital services, often in crisis. Some of these patients may even be a serious safety risk to themselves because there is a higher likelihood of suicide during the two weeks following discharge from hospital psychiatric treatment program.
The GEN B program recognizes the need for faster follow-up care and is working to improve patient transition from the hospital to home.
We focused on Quality Statement 12: Transitions in Care from Health Quality Ontario's Major Depression Quality Standard for this project.
Click on the attachment below for full details of this Quality Improvement Project.