The Quality Chasm in Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions

Publication Date:

Publisher: National Academies Press

Author(s): Committee on Crossing the Quality Chasm

Research Area: Health

Type: Report

Abstract:

The current report from the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Committee on Crossing the Quality Chasm focused on effective delivery of health care for mental and/or substance-use (M/SU) problems and illnesses. The report explored how health care for M/SU conditions varied from general health care and how the structure from the Quality Chasm's prior reports could be applied to M/SU health care.



Key Findings:



* The first of two major recommendations from the report centered on the need for the delivery of general and M/SU health care to address the mind/brain and body interaction.
* The second major recommendation from the report called for application of the Quality Chasm framework in M/SU health care via daily operations that incorporate the unique aspects of M/SU conditions.
* Committee members recommended a five-part strategy to improve the quality of M/SU health care that involved: increased collaboration across agencies to address holes in the scientific evidence; improvements in methods to get evidence to clinicians about effective health care; strengthening diagnosis and assessment approaches; bolstering quality measurement and reporting for M/SU health care; and assisting M/SU health care sites with enhancing quality improvement strategies.
* The multifaceted strategy to improve M/SU health care quality would involve patients and families, clinicians, health care organizations, various levels of government, and other agents in order to be most effective.