Percentage of Patients Who Receive Written and Verbal Information on Regular Psychotropic Medicines Initiated During Their Admission

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Care Transitions
Country
Australia
Publishing Organisation
Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC): National Quality Use of Medicines Indicators for Australian Hospitals (2014)
Type of Quality Indicator
Process
IOM Quality Dimension
Person-Centredness
Setting-Specific Domain
Communication

Defining Attributes

Definition

Percentage of patients who received written and verbal information on the last newly initiated regular psychotropic medicine initiated during their hospital admission. Regular psychotropic medicines initiated during their admission means the last regular psychotropic medicines initiated for the patient during their hospital admission. This medicine may or may not have been continued on discharge. Psychotropic medicines include anticholinergics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, mood stabilisers and sedatives and any other medicines used for psychotropic effects.

Numerator

Number of patients who received written and verbal information on the last newly initiated regular psychotropic medicine initiated during their hospital admission

Denominator

Number of patients in sample initiated on one or more new regular psychotropic medicines during their hospital admission

Exclusions

None

Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments
Stratifications

Collection and Reporting Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Electronic/paper chart records
Data Collection Methods

Medical and pharmacy records including discharge documentation.

Frequency of Data Collection
The National QUM Indicators are designed for data collection as part of local quality improvement activities, for use by clinicians involved in hospital medication management, especially doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. The indicators may provide evidence for accreditation purposes.
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
1
Reporting Methods

Recommended for local quality improvement processes. Not regularly reported at national level.

Reporting Frequency
Ad libitum
Reporting Frequency in Days
1
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No

Source and Reference Attributes

Evidence Source

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care and NSW Therapeutic Advisory Group Inc. (2014), National Quality Use of Medicines Indicators for Australian Hospitals. ACSQHC, Sydney www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/migrated/SAQ127NationalQUMIndicatorsV14-FINAL-D14-39602.pdf page 120

Technical Specifications
Link to Measurement Tools
Domain
Not Assigned
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
No
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Can the Quality Indicator be Readily Implemented at a Population Level in Australia Given its Current Data Landscape?
Implementation of this quality indicator was not assessed.
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
23 July 2025