title: A collaborative model: ambulatory pharmacotherapy for chronic psychiatric patients.
abstract: 1. Increases in patient acuity and diagnosis related groups limiting hospital lengths of stay have contributed to the heightened demand for structured outpatient programs. 2. The Medication Clinic and Medication Group, a daily functioning outpatient program, is designed to shift the responsibility for medication management from the health-care provider to the patient and family through education and participation. 3. Within the framework of a collaborative practice model, the patient, clinical nurse specialist, and psychiatrist share equal power and responsibility. A phenomenologically oriented approach whereby the health-care provider attempts to understand the patient's illness from the patient's perspective is a crucial component. 4. The Medication Program combines the expertise of nursing and medicine in a complementary fashion, conducive to both revenue-generating activity and cost-effective role use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ambulatory Services, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44109.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D010358:Patient Participation; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000379:methods