Developing performance indicators for mental health care

There is now a concerted effort at improving the performance of UK mental health care through the use of standards, performance indicators and monitoring techniques. Much of this is to assist regulation at the central government level. This paper examines the development and use of performance indicators for mental health at this and other levels. While performance dimensions have widened since the early development of indicators, methodology has lagged behind somewhat. Problems remain in the design, collection and interpretation of indicators for mental health, particularly in the context of present reform. The paper examines the changing needs for performance information at different levels of analysis and, building on international material, offers suggestions based around a framework for data collection. This material is intended to form part of an emerging agenda for the development of measures that enable better quality monitoring to take place in the management of mental health care.