The Quality of Care Provided by Outpatient Mental Health Services in Georgia

Abstract

Georgia has recently made a commendable effort to reform mental health care. The “Concept on Mental Health Care” adopted by the Government and the two strategic plans for 2014–2020 and 2021–2031, which aimed to develop comprehensive evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and human rights-oriented mental health care, have promoted the deinstitutionalization and development of community mental health services. Since 2018, new standards of care for mental health ambulatories and mobile teams have been imposed and implemented in the state programme and funded accordingly. The study aimed to investigate the quality of care in community mental health services. As a result, we monitored the mental health ambulatories in all major cities and regional centres of the country (in total, 16 ambulatories) and the mobile teams which had at least two years of experience (in total, 14 mobile teams). The data analyses showed that the new standards for ambulatories and mobile teams increased access to and coverage of mental health care across the country. However, further effort is still needed to achieve comprehensive treatment by mental health care services.

Keywords

quality of care / community mental health / mobile team / ambulatory

References

[1] WHO Mental health action plan 2013–2020. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/89966/9789241506021_eng.pdf

[2] Wong B, Chkonia E, Panteleeva L, et al. Transitioning to community-based mental healthcare: Reform experiences of five countries. BJPsych International. 2021;1–3. doi: 10.1192/bji.2021.23

[3] The Parliament of Georgia, Approval of the State Concept of Mental Health. Georgia Government, 2013. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/2157098?publication=0

[4] Government of Georgia. Approval of the Strategic Document for Mental Health Development and the Action Plan for 2015–2020. Georgia Government, 2014. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/2667876?publication=0

[5] Healthcare State Program. Government of Georgia, document N828. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://www.matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/5077572?publication=0

[6] Georgian Mental Health Strategic Plan 2021–2031 (revised version). Accessed November 07, 2021. https://www.georgiancollege.ca/wp-content/uploads/student-success-and-corporate-services-mental-health-and-well-being-strategic-plan-2020-2023-georgian-college-2020-06-16.pdf

[7] WHO qualityrights tool kit: assessing and improving quality and human rights in mental health and social care facilities. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70927/9789241548410_eng.pdf?sequence=3

[8] Themes, Standards and Criteria of the WHO QualityRights tool kit. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-qualityrights-tool-kit

[9] WHO Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance “Human resources and training in mental health”. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/Training_in_Mental_Health.pdf

[10] WHO Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance “Planning and budgeting to deliver services for mental health”. Accessed November 07, 2021. https://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/services/5_planning%20budgeting_WEB_07.pdf

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Chkonia E., Geleishvili G., Sharashidze M., Kuratashvili M., Khundadze M., Cheishvili G.