Biomaterial Database

Applying utilization review procedures in a community mental health center. 1975

W E Block

A large, multiservice community mental health center operates a utilization review program based on a three-level system of chart review by medical records personnel, a utilization review technician, and a committee of clinicians. Review is facilitated by a checklist for use in rating such issues as comprehensiveness, coordination, and quality of care aginst standards of care developed by the director of each service. The incompleteness of charts pulled for review is a continuing problem. But the system makes for efficient review and has various secondary benefits, such as the improvement of medical records. A survey made in the first year showed that staff had mixed feelings about the need for review, but that 60 per cent thought it was helpful all or most of the time.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008499	Medical Records	Recording of pertinent information concerning patient's illness or illnesses.	Health Diaries,Medical Transcription,Records, Medical,Transcription, Medical,Diaries, Health,Diary, Health,Health Diary,Medical Record,Medical Transcriptions,Record, Medical,Transcriptions, Medical
D009518	New York	State bounded on the north by Lake Ontario and Canada, on the east by Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and on the west by Pennsylvania, Lake Erie, and Canada.
D011367	Professional Staff Committees	Committees of professional personnel who have responsibility for determining policies, procedures, and controls related to professional matters in health facilities.	Committee, Professional Staff,Committees, Professional Staff,Professional Staff Committee,Staff Committee, Professional,Staff Committees, Professional
D011787	Quality of Health Care	The levels of excellence which characterize the health service or health care provided based on accepted standards of quality.	Pharmacy Audit,Quality of Care,Quality of Healthcare,Audit, Pharmacy,Care Quality,Health Care Quality,Healthcare Quality,Pharmacy Audits
D003156	Community Mental Health Services	Diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive mental health services provided for individuals in the community.	Community Mental Health Service,Mental Health Services, Community,Assertive Community Treatment,Health Services, Community Mental,Services, Community Mental Health,Services, Mental Health Community,Community Treatment, Assertive,Treatment, Assertive Community
D001291	Attitude of Health Personnel	Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.	Staff Attitude,Attitude, Staff,Attitudes, Staff,Health Personnel Attitude,Health Personnel Attitudes,Staff Attitudes
D014600	Utilization Review	An organized procedure carried out through committees to review admissions, duration of stay, professional services furnished, and to evaluate the medical necessity of those services and promote their most efficient use.	Review, Utilization,Reviews, Utilization,Utilization Reviews