Why outcome measurement matters

Following the launch of the HoNOS Family Dashboards Aotearoa, Mark Smith, Programme Lead Outcomes and Information at Te Pou, reflects on the launch and growth of outcomes data collection in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In 2008 Aotearoa New Zealand’s national collection for mental health and addiction was born. The Programme for the Integration of Mental Health Data (PRIMHD) brought together activity data and outcomes data. To start with, that outcomes data comprised of Health of the National Outcome scales for adults (HoNOS), adults over the age of 65 (HoNOS 65+) and children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years (HoNOSCA).

In the intervening years, HoNOS-LD (for adults with learning disabilities) and HoNOS-Secure (for adults supported by forensic services) were added to PRIMHD in 2012. Alcohol and Other Drug Outcome Measure (ADOM) was added in 2016, and most recently, HoNOSI (for infants aged 0 to 47 months) was added this year on 1 July 2024.

The journey towards developing an outcomes culture in our mental health and addiction services has not always been easy. We have tended to focus on the inputs and outputs of our services rather than the effect those inputs and outputs have.

So why bother with outcome measurement?

Measuring the effect interventions and treatments are having is helpful for both individual tangata whai ora and clinicians. It lets them both know whether treatment regimes and care plans are working.

Outcomes data can be aggregated and when it is we can see the outcomes for teams, services, and the nation as a whole. This is very valuable information.

One of the criticisms that has often been made of aggregated outcomes information is that the data goes into a ‘black hole’ that people can’t access easily. There has been some truth to this criticism.

At Te Pou, we have been sending out aggregated reports to services individually since 2010. We know some of this information has been useful and we know some services have used it. However, it hasn’t been as accessible as we would like.

Now we have launched the HoNOS family dashboards Aotearoa which changes the outcomes information from static quarterly reports to interactive digital data dashboards. These dashboards will make it much easier for clinicians and managers in Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora and some NGOs to access and use outcomes information.

Initially, two dashboards are available: a combined dashboard for HoNOS and HoNOS 65+ and a second dashboard for HoNOSCA.

This information will enable clinicians and managers to see the clinical outcomes for their services and teams, which will help with workforce planning, benchmarking and determining the effectiveness of inputs and outputs.

The current dashboards are focused on the team and service level, but we hope to add a national dashboard in the future, along with a dashboard for ADOM

The HoNOS family dashboards Aotearoa are available to all clinicians and managers in Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, Ministry of Health Manatū Hauora and some NGOs. However, access to the dashboards is restricted to maintain data confidentiality. To request access to the dashboards, please email outcomes@tepou.co.nz using your organisational email account. 

The new HoNOS family dashboards Aotearoa are available on the Te Pou website.