CASE STUDY: BAY OF PLENTY DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD   Background The Bay of Plenty District Health Board (BOPDHB) is one of 21 district health boards throughout New Zealand. It is responsible for the health and well-being of the people of the Bay of Plenty region. This includes overseeing the provision of public mental health care and involves the cooperation with a number of community health organisations holding mental health provision contracts.   Problem In order to prioritise decisions on the development of mental health services, the BOPDHB required information about the range and impact of the population’s mental health needs.   The BOPDHB commissioned Key Research to conduct a study regarding two key information requirements: To uncover the population’s mental health needs and identify the extent of population characteristics which determine these needs; To understand service provider views on issues impacting on mental health care provision. Solution To meet the requirements of the BOPDHB, Key Research implemented a two tiered research solution targeting two information sources:   Information source Method • General population • Telephone survey • Mental health practitioners • Discussion groups   A telephone survey of the general population was conducted to ascertain the prevalence and characteristics of residents at risk of mental health issues. The method of telephone survey was chosen due to its advantages of: A high response rate; Quick turn-around of information; Cost-effective method to control sampling of the regional population. Additionally, a series of discussion groups with mental health practitioners was conducted throughout the Bay of Plenty region to establish the types of services needed and gauge the levels of demand. These groups also identified areas for improvement to the provision of mental health care. Discussion groups are an ideal tool to explore an area in-depth, because they allow: Ideas to be considered and opinions to be explored; Material to be presented and discussed in-depth; Concepts to be shown and reactions tested; Exposing participants to contrary opinions; Additional insight through the analysis of body language and intonation. Success The information provided by Key Research assisted the BOPDHB in planning and prioritising its future actions in terms of mental health care provision. Faye Ryan, commissioner of the project at the BOPDHB, valued this information highly: “Key Research’s study delivered insights into the mental health care needs of the population. This knowledge was crucial for further developing the mental health care services in the Bay of Plenty region.”   The results of the telephone survey were used to identify the range and types of mental health need in the population. This enabled the BOPDHB to determine service improvements and preventative actions.   The outcomes of the discussion groups provided rich and reliable information regarding the requirements and concerns of mental health care practitioners. This information allowed the BOPDHB to understand service provision issues and to consider these in prioritisation of investment decisions. The discussion group process also provided the opportunity for increased dialogue between practitioners and the BOPDHB.