Title: Is there a pathway to recovery through care coordination? Emancipatory action research with mental health service users, carers, and professionals within Northumberland, Tyne and Wear
Funder: Department of Health (England)

Abstract: Background UK mental health services have undergone considerable reform in recent years; the advent of managed care manifested in initiatives such as care coordination pathways and CPA have been represented as cost effective, quality-driven systems They are designed to re-engineer mental health practice to improve patient benefits and aid recovery. However, problems in the design and delivery of such pathways and the reticence of some mental healthcare providers to implement them meaningfully have been noted. Department of Health policy recommends that patients, carers and the public should be involved in all publicly funded research. The proposed project therefore seeks to explore and reach a consensus around quality care coordination through both service user and carers acting as co-researchers. Aims Using an emancipatory action research approach this project will: 1. Explore the experiences of mental health service users, carers and professionals with regards to the delivery of care coordination. 2. Explore issues of consensus around good practice and quality care coordination amongst service users, carers and professionals. 3. Develop quality measurement tools with mental health service users and carers to be used in the examination of both care coordination and recovery. 4. Produce an archive of mental service users and carer narratives. 5. Develop a best practice care coordination tool kit including training and other material (inc. the tools devised in aim 3 and the archive in aim 4). 6. Provide a collaborative platform for the future cascade of work both locally and nationally. Plan of Investigation The project has 3 phases designed around emancipatory action research, which is led by mental health service users and carers at all stages from conception, execution, analysis, and the final ‘action’ stage of the research project. Phase 1: Delphi study of stakeholders in the locality from health and social care in both statutory and voluntary sectors. Development of a quality care coordination tool. The results from the Delphi and tools will be used to develop the focused narratives. Phase 2: Focussed biographical narrative interviews with service users, carers and professionals around good practice in care coordination. Both phases 1 and 2 will feed into the next phase. Phase 3: The development of a tool kit for best practice in care coordination and other dissemination methods. Potential Impact This project will generate evidence of best practice in recovery oriented care co ordination: Nationally: 1. The best practice tool kit in care coordination developed can be utilised by partnerships of service user/carer organisations and services to develop training and improve economic, social and health benefits. 2. The research will support other organisations wishing to work in similar partnerships. This will be achieved through a network of champions of recovery within quality care co ordination. Locally: 1. The recognition locally of service user and carer voices in this area will aid the movement towards more empowering mental health services. 2. The work will provide insight into the reality of care coordination which can be used in professional training and service development.


Research activity codes: 8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: MENTAL HEALTH