title: Best Practices: MEDNET: a multistate policy maker-researcher collaboration to improve prescribing practices.
abstract: States face new federal requirements to monitor psychotropic prescribing practices for children and adults enrolled in Medicaid. Effective use of quality measurement and quality improvement strategies hold the promise of improved outcomes for public mental health systems. The Medicaid/Mental Health Network for Evidence-Based Treatment (MEDNET), funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, is a multistate Medicaid quality collaborative with the Rutgers University Center for Health Services Research on Pharmacotherapy, Chronic Disease Management, and Outcomes. This column describes the development, infrastructure, challenges, and early evidence of success of this public-academic partnership, the first multistate Medicaid quality improvement collaborative to focus on psychotropic medications.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Finnerty is with the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center, and with the Bureau of Evidence-Based Services and Implementation Science, New York State Office of Mental Health, New York City (e-mail: molly.finnerty@omh.ny.gov ). Ms. Neese-Todd, Dr. Bilder, and Dr. Crystal are with the Center for Health Services Research on Pharmacotherapy, Chronic Disease Management, and Outcomes, Institute for Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Dr. Olfson is with the Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, and with New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City. Marcela Horvitz-Lennon, M.D., M.P.H., is editor of this column.
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Finnerty
authors.forename: Sheree
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neese-Todd
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bilder
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olfson
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crystal
mesh_terms: D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006302:Health Services Research; D008484:Medicaid; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000592:standards*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055818:Public-Private Sector Partnerships; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012576:Schools, Health Occupations; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs