Changes to BOiMHC MDS version 3.2 (13 November 2008)

The Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Minimum Dataset (BOiMHC MDS) is being upgraded to accommodate the introduction of the new trials introduced in 2008 (i.e. telephone CBT, suicide prevention and perinatal 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 meantime.

The biggest change is that version 3.2 of the BOiMHC MDS introduces the concept of Referral Type with pre-existing data now classified as "General ATAPS". Depending on the Referral Type of a referral, additional referral-type-specific data may be required on the referral or sessions. The full list of changes is documented below.

Divisions who utilise the data upload option - as opposed to entering their information directly into the MDS website - should note that their existing upload processes will continue to work as before the upgrade for "General ATAPS" data (previously the only kind). Divisions who are involved in the new programs will need to arrange for modifications to their upload processes to include the newly required data.

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.

All Participants

Referral Type

A optional referral field has been added, Referral Type, with a drop down menu to indicate the specific program through which the consumer has been referred (e.g. General ATAPS or PND). For projects only participating in "General ATAPS" this field can be ignored and will default to that value. If participating in additional programs, this field will allow multiple selections reflecting the project's participation.

Implications for data uploads

Referral Type is currently implemented as an optional extra item in order to give divisions plenty of time to modify their data upload systems. It may be included in referral data uploads at the end of the required columns as referral_type however if it is not provided it will default to "General ATAPS" in the MDS.

The data values for bulk data upload are as follows:

Label	Value	Note
General ATAPS	0	default value. 0 is assigned when no referral type has been selected.
General ATAPS	1	1 is assigned when referral type has been selected.
Telephone CBT	2
Suicide Prevention	3
Perinatal Depression	4
Bushfire	5

See http://boimhc.org/bin/view/Main/MDSOnlineHelp3x2#Extra_Referral_Information_Uploa for more information.

Session Modality

An optional session field Session Modality has been added to the system due to popular demand and because it is required for the T-CBT projects. Session Modality can take the values "Face to Face", "Telephone", and "Video Conferencing". This field defaults to "Face to Face" and historical data is assumed to be of this type.

Implications for data uploads

Session Modality is currently implemented as an optional extra item in order to give divisions plenty of time to modify their data upload systems. It may be included in session data uploads at the end of the required columns as session_modality however if it is not provided it will default to "Face to Face" in the MDS.

The data values for bulk data upload are as follows:

• Face to Face
• Telephone
• Video Conferencing

Use these literal strings in your upload data.

See http://boimhc.org/bin/view/Main/MDSOnlineHelp3x2#Extra_Session_Information_Upload for more information.

Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

Three versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) have been added as a new outcome measures to enable the collection of outcome data for young (i.e., 4 to 17 year old) consumers. The SDQ versions include:

Age Group	Rated by	Abbreviation used in the MDS
4-10	Parent / Guardian	SDQ-PC...
11-17	Parent / Guardian	SDQ-PY...
11-17	Self	SDQ-YR...

All subscale and total scores are included for all three versions of the SDQ.

To use this measure, you will need to enable the SDQ on the MDS by going to Admin -> Measure List and ticking the appropriate version and associated subscales / total score.

Implications for Data Uploads

SDQ scores can be submitted using the existing upload features. See http://boimhc.org/bin/view/Main/MDSOnlineHelp3x2#Outcome_Measures.

Data Integrity Improvement

Impossible Year of Birth values will be refused and unlikely values will generate a warning.

Implications for Data Uploads

Data uploads could fail if impossible birth_year values are supplied.

T-CBT Trial Participants

Currently, there are no data fields on the MDS to capture the expanded session information for the T-CBT trial. For the interim, the paper-version of the T-CBT Evaluation Form will continue to be used and sent to Strategic Data for data entry. These forms can be found at http://boimhc.org/bin/view/Main/TeleCBT.

In the future, allied health professionals will be able to login to the MDS to enter the additional session data.

Divisions who upload MDS data should NOT make any changes related to the additional T-CBT items until the specifications for this system is complete. Due to the complex nature of the T-CBT data capture, the upload processes for this data are expected to be substantially different to the existing upload system.

Suicide Prevention Pilot Participants

Referrer

A referral field has been added, Referrer, with a drop down menu to indicate the source of the referral (e.g. GP, Community Mental Health, Psychiatrist, Emergency Department).

Implications for Data Uploads

Referrer is currently implemented as an optional extra item in order to give Divisions plenty of time to modify their data upload systems. It may be included in referral data uploads at the end of the required columns as referrer however if it is not provided it will default to "GP" in the MDS. See http://boimhc.org/bin/view/Main/MDSOnlineHelp3x2#Extra_Referral_Information_Uploa for more information.

The data values for bulk data upload are as follows:

• GP
• Community Mental Health
• Psychiatrist
• Emergency Department

Use these literal strings in your upload data.

Modified Scale for Suicide Ideation

The outcome measure for the national evaluation of this pilot is the Modified Scale for Suicide Ideation (Miller et al., 1986). It contains 18 items, each of which will be added to the MDS as soon as possible.

Implications for Data Uploads

Divisions who upload MDS data should NOT make any changes related to the additional suicide outcome measure until the specifications for this system is complete.

National Perinatal Depression Initiative

If your division is involved in the National Perinatal Depression Initiative the following additional items should be completed in the MDS:

1. "perinatal depression" can be selected as a "referral type"

2. the preferred outcome measure is the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. This scale is already supported by the MDS, see http://boimhc.org/bin/view/Main/MDSOnlineHelp3x2#Measures_List_Page for more information.

3. for diagnosis either "depression" or "anxiety" may be selected

Additional MDS changes required for this initiative are yet to be finalised. We are planning to capture "number of weeks pregnant" and/or "number of weeks postnatal" in the next MDS upgrade. Divisions will be notified once these items have been incorporated into the MDS.