A Quality Improvement Process for State Mental Health Systems
Abstract
Continuous improvement of the quality of patient care is a major goal in state mental health systems, most of which operate several large hospitals and many community mental health centers geographically dispersed across the state. Although each facility may have an adequate quality assurance program, many opportunities for improvement are lost without integration of these efforts into a unified, state wide quality improvement system. The authors describe development of such a system in South Carolina and give examples of improvements inpatient care that have taken place since the program was initiated in 1987. The activities of the central office of quality assurance include collecting and analyzing data about adverse incidents in state facilities, monitoring corrective actions, conducting annual surveys of operations at all state facilities, and investigating and coordinating resolution of complaints about patients' rights.
Access content
To read the fulltext, please use one of the options below to sign in or purchase access.- Personal login
- Institutional Login
- Sign in via OpenAthens
- Register for access
-
Please login/register if you wish to pair your device and check access availability.
Not a subscriber?
PsychiatryOnline subscription options offer access to the DSM-5 library, books, journals, CME, and patient resources. This all-in-one virtual library provides psychiatrists and mental health professionals with key resources for diagnosis, treatment, research, and professional development.
Need more help? PsychiatryOnline Customer Service may be reached by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-368-5777 (in the U.S.) or 703-907-7322 (outside the U.S.).
