title: Setting benchmarks and determining psychiatric workloads in community mental health programs.
abstract: Administrators and clinicians must find ways to effectively and efficiently use psychiatric resources without compromising the quality of care. The author outlines a model for setting benchmarks for allocating psychiatrists' time in a community mental health service setting. After the percentage of time for direct-care activities is agreed on (for example, 60 percent), the amounts of time necessary for three direct-care clinical activities-assessment of new patients, follow-up of stable patients, and follow-up of unstable patients and emergencies--are established. Time for documentation should be included in each task. At the end of six months, workloads are evaluated, and benchmarks are reset as appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Nova Scotia Hospital, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. smbhask@hotmail.com
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Bhaskara
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking / Q000379:methods*; D002170:Canada; D003155:Community Mental Health Centers / Q000592:standards; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational / Q000592:standards; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D017146:Models, Organizational; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000592:standards*; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000592:standards; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload