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The purpose of this paper is to explore the user's perspective in evaluating e‐health services and to present evaluation criteria that influence users' utilization and satisfaction of e‐health services.

The paper is based on two lines of studies relating to the behaviour of users of new products or services and on broad examining and critical analysis of the existing evaluations initiatives in e‐governments services generally but also particularly in an e‐health context.

The paper argues that e‐health services evaluation frameworks should be criteria‐based, while the criteria can be grounded in, and derived from, one or more specific perspectives or theories, and cannot be entirely framed within the bounds of a single theory or perspective. The paper suggests an evaluation framework for e‐health services and provides a set of clear and useful e‐health evaluation criteria that can be accommodated by such a framework.

The limitation of this paper lies in the absence of empirical validation and examination of the proposed evaluation criteria that have not yet been applied in the fieldwork. Hence, the proposed criteria require an empirical validation which will be performed by the authors in the next stage of this research using a multiple case study strategy and will form the basis for further research.

The proposed evaluation criteria can be used to help achieve better user services utilization, to serve as part of an e‐health evaluation framework, and to address areas that require further attention in the development of future e‐health initiatives.

The paper presents a well‐argued and balanced hierarchy of evaluation criteria that can contribute to an area of research which is still in its infancy in terms of development and management.

The authors compare perspectives on external evaluation of health service provision between Norway and the USA. External inspection and accreditation are examples of internationally wide-spread external evaluation methods used to assess the quality of care given to patients. Different countries have different national policy strategies and arrangements set up to do these evaluations. Although there is growing attention to the impact and effects on quality and safety from external evaluation, there is still a gap in knowledge to how structures and processes influence these outcomes. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to describe the structures and processes in external evaluation designed to promote quality improvement in Norway and the USA with attention to comparison of enablers and barriers in external evaluation systems.

Data collection consisted of documentary evidence retrieved from governmental policies, and reviews of the Joint Commission (the US), international guidelines, recommendations and reports from the International Society for Quality in Health Care, and the World Health Organization, and policies and regulations related to Norwegian governmental bodies such as the Ministry of Health and Care Services, the Norwegian Directorate of Health, and the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision . Data were analyzed inspired by a deductive, direct content analytical framework.

The authors found that both accreditation and inspection are strategies put in place to ensure that healthcare providers have adequate quality systems as well as contributing to the wider risk and safety enhancing management and implementation processes in the organizations subjected to evaluation. The US and the Norwegian external regulatory landscapes are complex and include several policymaking and governing institutions. The Norwegian regulatory framework for inspection has replaced an individual blame logic with a model which “blames” the system for inadequate quality and patient harm. This contrasts with the US accreditation system, which focuses on accreditation visits. Although findings indicate an ongoing turning point in accreditation, findings also demonstrate that involving patients and next of kin directly in adverse event inspections is a bigger part of a change in external inspection culture and methods than in processes of accreditation.

The message of this paper is important for policymakers, and bodies of inspection and accreditation because knowledge retrieved from the comparative document study may contribute to better understanding of the implications from the different system designs and in turn contribute to improving external evaluations.

Although there is a growing attention to the impact and effects on quality and safety from external evaluation, the implications of different regulatory strategies and arrangements for evaluation on quality and safety remain unclear.

To develop a framework for evaluating the quality of Portuguese health care organisations based on the relationship between customers and providers, to define key variables related to the quality of health care services based on a review of the available literature, and to establish a conceptual framework in order to test the framework and variables empirically.

Systematic review of the literature.

Health care services quality should not be evaluated exclusively by customers. Given the complexity, ambiguity and heterogeneity of health care services, the authors develop a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers (patients, their relatives and citizens) and providers (managers, doctors, other technical staff and non‐technical staff), and considering four quality items (customer service orientation, financial performance, logistical functionality and level of staff competence).

This article identifies important changes in the Portuguese health care industry, such as the ownership of health care providers. At the same time, customers are changing their attitudes towards health care, becoming much more concerned and demanding of health services. These changes are forcing Portuguese private and public health care organisations to develop more marketing‐oriented services. This article recognises the importance of quality evaluation of health care services as a means of increasing customer satisfaction and organisational efficiency, and develops a framework for health care evaluation based on the relationship between customers and providers.

This paper describes and discusses the evaluation of an innovative child and adolescent mental health project located in a large county in eastern England. The project was one of eight located in the voluntary sector and supported by the Mental Health Foundation as part of a national initiative aimed at responding in new, accessible ways to young people requiring help for emotional and mental health problems. Traditional specialist CAMH services are overwhelmed by demand while also failing to engage many young people. This study provides evidence of how new services can develop to meet the needs of troubled young people in appropriate and acceptable ways.

The integration of peer support workers with lived experience of mental health problems into existing mental health services has been found beneficial in some ways. However, some peer support workers have experienced unique challenges in terms of role confusion and limited opportunities for networking and support. Qualitative research and evaluation regarding peer support worker integration is limited. This paper aims to address this issue.

The current paper presents a qualitative evaluation of the experiences of two peer support specialist (PSS) workers and their managers within one UK mental health trust. The PSS workers and managers were interviewed individually using a semi‐structured format. Thematic analysis was applied to the interview transcripts.

In agreement with prior research and evaluation, positive experiences and challenges were identified in relation to PSS employment, both for PSS workers and their teams. Overarching themes concern the PSS worker as “other”, the PSS worker as a “change agent”, and “readiness for PSS worker employment”.

The evaluation is limited by the small sample size but the findings could be used to inform the integration of PSS workers into other existing services. This evaluation begins to untangle some of the tensions around the integration process. Strategies to support PSS integration based on the recommendations of participants and the findings of the current evaluation are presented.

It is again suggested that people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities comprise a disproportionately high percentage of mental health inpatients. Furthermore, the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) concluded the Department of Health (DH) did not have ‘due regard’ to the Race Equality Duty, retaining major concerns regarding the ability of the DH to ensure future compliance (CRE, 2007). In light of these ongoing problems the DH published a five‐year action plan, Delivering Race Equality (DRE) in Mental Health Care to develop race equality and cultural competence training for mental health practitioners (DH, 2005).A focused review of literature was undertaken, structured around three questions.1. How is cultural competence in mental health care defined?2. How is cultural competence in mental health care delivered?3. How is the delivery of cultural competence in mental health care evaluated?Consensus is lacking on definition of cultural competence and on the sequence of when the components should be acquired, some terms being used interchangeably. It is unclear how cultural competence in mental health care can be delivered. No attempts have been adequately evaluated, particularly by service users (Bhui et al, 2007). More innovative research is needed to develop a consensual definition of cultural competence and to facilitate the delivery and evaluation of such, in ways acceptable to service users and service providers.

An urban mental health service undertook a quality improvement programme to involve staff in the identification and resolution of cross‐cultural issues. The programme involved clinical file audits, staff survey and workshops, and a focus group for consumers and their carers. It was found that non‐English speaking patients received a different spectrum of services from English speaking patients. Non‐English speaking patients were found to receive more pharmacological treatments and less cognitive behavioural therapy. In seeking to address these issues and improve their service delivery to all patients, the mental health service is now in the process of developing cross‐cultural training; revising policies and procedures; and engaging bilingual mental health counsellors in a revision of their roles, particularly to increase their availability to staff as cultural consultants.

Women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities face barriers to accessing perinatal mental health care. Victorian Transcultural Mental Health (VTMH) is a state-wide service in Victoria, Australia, that supports specialist mental health service providers to improve cultural responsiveness. VTMH provided training for perinatal health professionals in cultural responsiveness. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A curriculum was specifically developed based on a literature review, consultation forum, and input from members of an industry-based reference group. An Evaluation Tool was designed to collect participants’ feedback regarding the perceived relevance of the training content and its impact on practice. Responses were analysed using quantitative techniques and thematic analysis.

Nine face-to-face training sessions were provided, in metropolitan and rural regions. In all, 174 professionals of various backgrounds (including midwives, mental health professionals, and maternal child health nurses) attended. In all, 161 completed evaluations were received and responses indicated that the training was of high relevance to the target workforce, that the training would have implications for their practice, and support was given for further training to be delivered using online methods.

First, an assessment of the cultural competence of participants prior to enrolment in the course was not conducted, and no matched control group was available for comparison with the participants. Second, generalisability of these findings to other settings requires further investigation. Third, the sustainability of the project is an area for further study in the future. Fourth, other methods including direct interviews of focus groups with participants may have yielded more detailed qualitative feedback regarding the effectiveness of the programme.

To facilitate the sustainability of the project, following the face-to-face training, an online training module and a resource portal were developed, offering links to relevant web sites and resources for health professionals working in this field.

The training addressed a significant unmet need for cultural responsiveness training for a diverse range of practitioners in the field of perinatal mental health. Online training can be adapted from face-to-face training and it is anticipated that online training will facilitate the sustainability of this initiative.

This study aims to explore service users’ experience of psychological therapy as part of a community sentence with a Mental Health Treatment Requirement (MHTR) in Birmingham Courts between January and December 2018.

All service users that had therapy in this period were telephoned a month after ending and offered a semi-structured telephone interview. Seven service users agreed to be recorded. This data was then transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis to gain a richer understanding of their lived experience.

Themes identified were: Is the MHTR for me? Opening up, enlightening connections and personal change. Service users initially questioned the relevance and burden of the order for them; the experience of therapy allowed them to trust and talk about things unsaid in the past; this helped them to review and reconsider their understanding of themselves and their life choices and what further support they might need.

Interviews were not completed by an independent interviewer. Experience of working with offender manager supervision additionally available throughout the sentence was not explored.

What is included in the MHTR information and support needs to be informed by the service user’s perspective, including this can improve engagement.

Therapy was seen as a “a cog in the machine” and wider social inequalities may need to be addressed within the sentence.

This report focusses on experience of a therapeutic intervention – a key part of a community sentence with an MHTR.

South Wales Police Mental Health (MH) Triage service was initiated to meet the Welsh Government MH priority of early intervention to prevent MH crisis. Community Psychiatric Nurses, based in the control-room, provide advice to police and control room staff on the management of MH-related incidents. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the first 12 months of operation (January-December 2019).

Service evaluation of the first 12 months of operation (January–December 2019). Data were analysed in relation to: MH incidents; repeat callers; Section (S)136 use/assessment outcomes. Police, health staff and triage service users were interviewed and surveyed to capture their opinions of the service.

Policing areas with high engagement in triage saw reductions in S136 use and estimated opportunity costs saving. Triage was considered a valuable service that promoted cross agency collaborations. De-escalation in cases of mental distress was considered a strength. Access to follow-on services was identified as a challenge.

Triage enables a multi-agency response in the management of MH-related incidents. Improving trust between services, with skilled health professionals supporting police decision-making in real time.

There is a gap in the research on the impact of police-related MH triage models beyond the use of S136. This project evaluated the quality of the service, its design and the relationship between health, police and partner agencies during the triage process. Multi-agency assessment of follow-up is needed to measure the long-term impact on services and users.