Patient Outcomes

‘Patient outcomes’ is a phrase you will hear often at St Andrew’s; it refers to the way we focus our activities and then measure our results – outcomes – to see how we are helping people to progress. Our aim is always to the people in our care to lead a meaningful life, with, where possible, discharge from a secure environment as soon as they are ready.

The clinical outcomes that we focus on are measurable changes in health or quality of life that result from our care. We explore everything, from the improved health of an individual to improved hospital experience. For example, we measure activity data such as the frequency of leave, and also ask patients to rate how they feel their health has improved. By constantly reviewing clinical outcomes we establish standards that we use as a basis to continuously improve.

Measuring outcomes and experience

Download documents here

Outcomes Wheel Easy Read leaflet

Measurement Tools

To record these measurements we have developed an Outcomes Framework (pictured right) which is in the shape of a wheel. It was produced together by our clinicians, patients and carers, and covers three main areas: mental health, physical health and personalisation of care. Our clinicians and multi-disciplinary teams use the framework to monitor patients’ progress, their quality of life and importantly, their experience of the care they receive at St Andrew’s.

By measuring outcomes regularly and consistently, we are able to prioritise the use of our resources to ensure we use them where they can have the greatest impact and provide the greatest value. This ‘value-based healthcare’ model was pioneered by Sir Muir Gray in Oxford and by Professor Michael Porter and Professor Elizabeth Teisberg at Harvard University in the USA. We are the only mental healthcare provider in the world to adopt this strategy holistically across the whole organisation.

Measuring outcomes and experience – leaflet
Measuring outcomes and experience – an Easy Read leaflet

Some of the measurements tools we use include:

Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS)
Clinical Group Impression Scale (CGI)
Friends and Family test
Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL)

Collecting information using these allows us to compare our outcomes with other national or international mental healthcare providers.

Quotes from our patients

“I’ve done really well and go to town every week now.”

“Getting good, genuine feedback helps you get to your goal.”

“I’m learning to use tools at the workshop and want to be a mechanic in the future.”

“DBT has really helped me move on. It was difficult for me before, but now I can cope.”