Quality improvements in clinical therapeutics

Purpose of review Quality improvement efforts in psychiatry seek to optimize patient centered outcomes in usual care settings. The quality improvement mandate is now part of contractual agreements, performance bonuses for clinical managers, and significant regulatory oversight. The entity seeking to improve quality of care can be a professional organization, a delivery system, a clinical program, or an individual clinician. A whole new era of 'translational research' is underway dedicated to improving quality of care by bringing research knowledge into practice settings. Being current about developments in the field is the first step in improving quality of care. This review summarizes an eclectic mix of information. The articles are included due to the fact they address critical aspects of the structure, process, or outcome of care in usual care settings. Recent findings Quality improvement efforts by their very nature need to borrow information from a variety of disciplines. Hence, this review incorporates recent organizational, neuroscientific, psychological, technological, pharmacological, and clinical findings that can support quality improvements in clinical therapeutics in a variety of settings and scenarios. Summary Research on quality improvement strategies designed to accelerate change and improve clinical communication behaviors should be the next step in improving psychiatric care.