Roll- out of decision support tool for community mental health services to benefit patients

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust has introduced the Management and Supervision Tool (MaST). This tool will help Community Mental Health teams, Early Intervention in Psychosis, and Older Adults Community Mental Health teams manage their caseloads more effectively, making sure people that use the service receive the best possible care.

MaST brings together complex information from electronic patient records and presents it to clinicians in a clear, easy-to-read format. This helps staff consider various factors when making decisions about an individual’s care, as it helps generate insights into which people are more or less likely to use crisis services in the next 28 days. By using the tool, people that use the service are more likely to receive the right care faster. As people’s needs change, it can support in ensuring timely transitions to other services.

Eva Costoya, Programme Manager, Clinical and Pathway Integration at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust said: “MaST provides a wealth of information at our fingertips to help inform care planning to benefit patients.

“The tool helps us align care with the specific needs of individuals that use our service and helps staff identify those who may need more intensive support, so we can step in sooner to avoid crisis.

“Feedback from staff has been very positive; helping them to be more efficient and proactive. Over the coming months, we will analyse the data to identify the benefits for both our staff and, most importantly, the people that use our service.”