MDS data entry system

Log In LINK https://secure.strategicdata.com.au/p/ahp

Welcome to the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care (ATAPS) website

Information on this site will help support your role in managing your division's participation in this program. We have a dedicated Help Desk to assist you with problems or enquiries relating to entering your division's data in the Minimum Data Set database. Also, if you are involved in program evaluation, the CHPPE team at Melbourne University are available to further assist you. Further details are available below.

MDS Upgrades

As you are aware the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Minimum Dataset (BOiMHC MDS) is being upgraded to accommodate the introduction of the new trials introduced this year (i.e. telephone based CBT, suicide prevention and postnatal depression) and to enhance functionality overall. However, as it will be a lengthy process to replace the existing Minimum Dataset system with a more flexible version, an interim update (version 3.2) to the existing system was made on the 13th of November 2008 to allow Divisions to collect many of the new data items in the interim.

More information can be found at BOiMHCChanges3x2.

If any of the changes documented here are relevant to you but you cannot see the expected altered functionality in the MDS, or if you have any other queries relating to these changes, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail to support@boimhc.org.

Telephone Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (T-CBT)

Divisions participating in the T-CBT program seeking more more information should see the TeleCBT specific page.

What evaluation support is available to Divisions running Access to Allied Psychological Services projects under the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program?

The Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care program has a strong commitment to evaluation. As a consequence, The University of Melbourne’s Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics (CHPPE; formerly the Program Evaluation Unit - PEU) has been commissioned to provide evaluation support to Divisions that are conducting Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) projects.

Our support role recognises that Divisions have varying levels of evaluation expertise, may be using internal or external evaluators, and are employing different evaluation designs. In the main, this support takes the form of individual and group consultations with interested Divisions, as well as written documentation about key evaluation issues.

Our role also includes the development and dissemination of a minimum dataset. The minimum dataset is designed to capture de-identified consumer-level information, which is invaluable for describing who is accessing allied health care as a result of these projects, as well as for providing a broad overview of the care these people are receiving.

Periodically, we draw together information from the local evaluations and the minimum dataset to provide ongoing information about how the ATAPS projects are going, and whether specific models of service delivery seem to be particularly effective in given circumstances.

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What is the Centre for Health Policy, Programs and Economics?

The CHPPE is part of the School of Population Health at The University of Melbourne and continues to evaluate the Access to Allied Psycholgical Services (ATAPS) Component of the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Initiative.

We are a multidisciplinary centre whose aim is to contribute to the health of the community through research, evaluation and a varied program of teaching and training that:

• advances knowledge about health programs;
• improves the community’s ability to evaluate health programs;
• fosters methodological development and exemplary practice; and
• addresses relevant issues productively and flexibly.

We, at the CHPPE bring considerable expertise to the tasks at hand, having conducted local, state and national evaluations of other mental health and general practice initiatives, usually adopting a model of capacity-building.

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Minimum dataset database

Strategic Data Pty Ltd have developed a web based data entry system for the minimum dataset (MDS). This system includes online help for each of the functions which you can access once logged in.

Click HERE to login to the the MDS data entry system.

If you are a new user of the MDS, please download our one page MDS Welcome Summary, providing all the information and links you need to get started using the MDS.

There is some functionality for Data Upload if your Division has an alternative means of collecting and storing the MDS data, for example Excel or Access. More information on that procedure is included in the MDS ONLINE HELP.

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Who to contact

A dedicated Help Desk is available to support the ATAPS projects in relation to the Minimum Data Set system. All enquiries should be directed to: support@boimhc.org

If you are involved in the implementation or evaluation of one of the ATAPS projects, and are seeking evaluation support or advice, feel free to contact Justine Fletcher, Fay Kohn or Bridget Bassilios. They are Research Fellows at the CHPPE and have expertise in evaluation and experience in working with Divisions. Please send all queries to the following email address: support@boimhc.org.

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The latest report: Relationship between ATAPS projects and the Better Access to Psychiatrists, Psychologists and GPs through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (Better Access) initiative

The Thirteenth Interim Evaluation Report indicates that the introduction of the Better Access program has not reduced the demand for psychological services provided through the Access to Allied Psychological Services projects and that the demand for both programs continues to rise steadily. The consistent prevalence rates of mental disorders and increased (GP and public) awareness, contribute to the persistent demand for affordable and accessible primary mental health care services. Link to Link to the 13th Evaluation Report

The purpose of this website

This website provides useful information, tools and documentation to provide support to Divisions involved in the ATAPS projects. Click on the links below to view the following documents:

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) For the Minimum Data Set Database System
• ATAPS Project Reports:Link to the collection of ATAPS Evaluation Reports and other useful reports and articles
• ATAPS Project Presentations:Link to the collection of ATAPS Evaluation Presentations
• Archive Documents:Link to Archive Documents section containing early ATAPS documentation. Provides initial project framework.

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