Genuine managed care in psychiatry. A proposed practice model.
As the cost of health care rises, greater emphasis is being placed on the value--or quality in relation to the cost--of mental health and substance abuse care. Health maintenance organizations, insurance companies, and other third-party payors of medical care have focused on lowering the cost of medical care by inserting benefit barriers, access barriers, treatment restrictions, case management, and other interventions into physicians' health care delivery. Possible future developments include the use of scientifically validated standards and criteria. One alternative open to psychiatrists is what the author terms genuine managed care. This approach emphasizes a practice pattern. The practice pattern suggests certain structures and processes to deliver services. A prototype group practice is outlined as a way of providing effective, high-quality care. Inpatient length of stay and outpatient length of treatment data are presented and evaluated.
Goldstein
L S
LS
Northern Virginia Psychiatric Group, Fairfax, Virginia 22031.
D003363:Cost Control; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D006123:Group Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D011570:Psychiatry; D011787:Quality of Health Care