Quality assurance of outcome in mental health care: a model for routine use in clinical settings.
A problem-oriented method of quality assurance of clinical outcome was used in 1,384 patients who were assessed and treated over 8 years by 41 nurse therapist trainees. The clinical audit suggested that for most diagnoses patients' improvement after treatment was usually satisfactory. Though the system was developed to monitor the progress of patients with anxiety, sexual and habit disorders having behavioural psychotherapy, it could also be applied to other disorders like depression and to other treatments. The method is simple enough for routine use, and computerisation would put it within the grasp of most clinics and training programs for all mental health care professionals.
D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010262:Paraphilic Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000628:therapy