Question

How can we make our consultation moments more productive and efficient?

Problem description

We perceive a shortage and lack of structure in our client consultations.  These are organised only when a psychiatrist is present. Our team is working with two psychiatrists, each of them is 7 hours a week available for the team. However, these hours are divided in such a way that a psychiatrist is only available on 3 days. Therefore, there are two different client discussions two days a week, and there is no guarantee that the psychiatrists will be present on time. Mainly intakes are discussed, and there is little time left for ongoing cases and for the closing of cases. In addition, we try to organise a briefing on the other days, in the absence of a psychiatrist. In reality, however, this doesn’t happen systematically

Impact - effect

How client consultations or discussions are organised has a major impact on the agendas of the team members.  It complicates time management. In the absence of the psychiatrists at a briefing and lack of mandate within the team, everything must be resumed at the next client discussion (with a psychiatrist). Only then, a treatment plan is proposed.  This is very time consuming for the collaborators (duplication), but it also means a loss of time in order to start up a proper treatment plan and to inform the client about a possible inclusion to the team. At the same time, the meaningfulness of these briefings are questioned and as a consequence the briefings are not systematically organised.  In turn, this is resulting in a lack of consultation about the client and in working rather autonomously.

The lack of structure and frequent change of method during our client discussions is clearly causing frustration among the team members

To do

To do: inspired by the client discussions in IHT (Intensive Home Treatment, NHN), which take place every morning, we can think about organising a client discussion each day, by preference at midday so both shifts (day, evening) can be present.  Ideally, with the presence of a  psychiatrist.  If not possible, a team coordinator should coordinate this in a very strictly way. In IHT this was very structured, the team coordinator was using a countdown clock, starting time and discussion time per client was respected and team members were invited to discuss issues with the team leader after the meeting, if they felt this was necessary.  In this structured way of organising, the team leader was supported by an interesting instrument, the FACT board. Our team is still searching for a very workable instrument for our meetings, but also to support our overall operation

Theme

Role of psychiatrists

Topic

Number of hours/week available for the team, number of WTE psychiatrist (full-time, part-time..)

Reference -  contact

Ellen Beets

Mobile team

2a

Project

Noolim

Intership abroad - place

Noord-Holland-Noord (IHT)

Date

September 2014