title: A study of lithium carbonate use in a health maintenance organization.
abstract: The Harvard Community Health Plan, a Boston-based health maintenance organization, evaluated the use of lithium carbonate in its mental health department. Criteria were developed for four categories of care: prerequisite workup, initialization of therapy, maintenance of therapy, and management of side effects. Patient records were evaluated for a retrospective control period, an experimental period in which educational interventions (education seminars and reminder notices) were provided to practitioners, and a postexperimental period in which interventions were discontinued. Practitioners' performance improved during the experimental period but declined to control-period levels during the postexperimental period.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D004363:Drug Utilization; D006279:Health Maintenance Organizations; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008499:Medical Records / Q000592:standards; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care
chemical_list: D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008094:Lithium