Incursions upon professional prerogatives are increasing with the advent
of new requirements for accoutability; this has stemmed in part from the
government's enlarged role in paying for mental health services. The author
discusses the effect of professional norms on the assessment of quality of
care, including the concepts of risk and autonomy, observability and
privacy, the perspective of time, and the appropriateness of the penalty.
He offers some suggestions for the design and implementation of
quality-of-care standards that he believes will benefit both professionals
and administrators, as well as protect the patient.Abstract Teaser