Patient Safety in Mental Health 

Patient Safety in Mental Health Pan-Canadian Advisory Group Announced  

In July 2010, the OHA and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) announced a call for membership to invite interested individuals to apply to become members of a new Pan-Canadian Patient Safety in Mental Health Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will assist in the RFP selection process for a research/consulting team and assist with overseeing the development of an environmental scan/inventory and resource guide on international, national, and provincial/territorial tools, resources, policies etc. pertaining to the assessment and prevention of suicide risk.

After reviewing all applications, the OHA and CPSI are fortunate to have selected an Advisory Group that reflects the broad range of skills and experience necessary to advance this work.

The Advisory Group will be chaired by Glenna Raymond, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. Members include:

• Dr. Linda Courey, Director, Mental Health Services, Cape Breton District Health Authority, Nova Scotia;
• Lisa Crawley Beames, Clinical Leader Manager, St. Michael’s Hospital, Ontario
• Margaret Doma, Manager, Risk Management and Patient Relations, St. Joseph’s Health Care Hamilton, Ontario;
• Beth Hamer, Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing Practice Leader, Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene, Ontario;
• Isabelle Jarrin, Nurse Educator – Mental Health, Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, Manitoba;
• Denice Klavano, Member, Patients for Patient Safety Canada, Nova Scotia;
• Dr. David Koczerginski, Chief of Psychiatry, William Osler Hospital, Ontario;
• Judith Macrae, Manager, Tertiary Mental Health Services, Fraser Health, British Columbia;
• Dr. Saibal Nandy, Private Practice Psychiatrist and Associate Clinical Professor, University of Alberta, Alberta;
• Ann Pottinger, Advanced Practice Nurse, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Ontario;
• Margaret Tansey, Vice President Professional Practice/Chief Nursing Practice, Royal Ottawa Health Care Group, Ontario;
• Dr. Michael Trew, Senior Medical Director, Addictions and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Alberta; and,
• Dr. Tristin Wayte, Manager, Risk and Evaluation, BC Mental Health and Addiction Services, British Columbia.

Representatives from CPSI and OHA will also participate in the Advisory Group.  The OHA will be responsible for the project management associated with this initiative.

For more information about the Advisory Group, please contact Cyrelle Muskat at 416-205-1316 or at cmuskat@oha.com.

Current Initiative

In 2008, the OHA and CPSI worked collaboratively on a Roundtable event and publication of a Background Paper outlining the current issues in patient safety across mental health settings.  After the success of the final background paper publication “Patient Safety in Mental Health,” both organizations have jointly identified the need to further refine this work and gain a deeper understanding of a particular patient safety issue facing the mental health in Canada. 

The OHA and CPSI have continued their collaborative partnership to examine patient safety issues in the mental health sector in Canada.  Following this work, both organizations have agreed to continue to explore specific patient safety issues facing the mental health sector and develop a practical resource to support improved patient safety within the field.  The specific focus and scope of work was determined by a small working group of the OHA and CPSI, following consultation with several key stakeholders, who identified the need for a suicide risk assessment and prevention resource guide. 

This suggestion to focus on suicide risk assessment was in keeping with the findings from the final background paper (see background paper below) which acknowledged the need for the identification and implementation of a standardized suicide risk assessment tool as a priority.

Patient safety in mental health has only recently become a health care field in its own right and as such, a lack of information for guiding patient safety systems, practices, policies, and care delivery for mental health currently exists.

To help address this knowledge gap, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) collaborated and commissioned a team from British Columbia Mental Health and Addiction Services (BCMHAS) to prepare a research paper that examines the patient safety issues unique to mental health care in Canada, Patient Safety in Mental Health.

Together with a pan-Canadian Advisory Committee, the OHA and CPSI engaged experts and stakeholders from across Canada and internationally, seeking their expertise and advice throughout the research and writing process. The research findings in the paper highlight the important challenges and opportunities for improving patient safety in mental health specifically related to policy, planning, practice and research. The findings also support the development of strategies and initiatives at national, provincial/territorial, and local levels.

The first of its kind in Canada, this paper’s innovative and thought-provoking research, will assist your efforts in improving the safety and quality of care for all mental health patients.

The paper was formally launched at OHA's Mental Health and Patient Safety: Broadening our Understanding. Building the Momentum conference that took place on September 17th and 18th, 2009.

  
Electronic versions of the paper are available in English and French, and can be downloaded by clicking on the following links:

English
French

Hard copies of the paper are available in English only, and can be purchased in the Knowledge Centre store.

For more information about the Patient Safety in Mental Health paper, contact Cyrelle Muskat, Consultant, Patient Safety at cmuskat@oha.com or 416-205-1316.

For further information about the Canadian Patient Safety Institute, please click here.