Abstract
Objective: To generate debate and discussion regarding the place of Quality Improvement (QI) methodologies in modern Psychiatric Practice.
Method: A three-part interactive workshop format is used: Part I – “Why should we be interested in QI let alone getting serious about it?” The issues of the psychiatric evidence-based, practice variance, reliability of clinical decision-making, and medical error are examined in a manner which counterpoints participant viewpoints, experience and beliefs, with relevant thought-provoking data. The wider medical and social context of quality developments in the healthcare sector is highlighted.
Part II – “What does all the QI gobbledygook mean in real life/practice?” A framework for thinking about QI in clinical practice is presented, and practical application of the various QI tools discussed with particular reference to the use of Clinical Pathways.
Part III – “Cookbook Medicine or Best Care for Individuals? – Why all this QI stuff is so hard for us in health”. The basis for the widely acknowledged difficulty in successfully implementing quality methods in the health sector is examined, and critical success factors identified. The relative risks and benefits of the current push to ensure healthcare quality are examined, and the case is put for Psychiatrists taking the lead in this endeavour.