Quality indicators for schizophrenia care: A scoping review.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Measurement
• Psychiatric Care Indicators
• Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Background:

• Improving healthcare for individuals with schizophrenia is crucial due to persistent poor outcomes.
• Quality of care measurement is a foundational step for healthcare improvement initiatives.
• Existing quality measures for schizophrenia may not comprehensively address all aspects of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize quality of care indicators for individuals with schizophrenia.
• To map the landscape of existing quality measures in schizophrenia care.
• To highlight areas needing further development in quality indicator frameworks.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted.
• Searched six academic and four grey literature databases, plus 23 organization websites.
• Included documents with quality indicators for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Main Results:

• 119 documents yielded 390 distinct quality indicators.
• Most indicators were process measures (68%), focusing on safety (30%) and effectiveness (35%).
• Indicators covered mental healthcare (77%) and physical healthcare (23%), including service delivery, pharmacotherapy, and interventions.

Conclusions:

• Results show increased focus on quality measurement in schizophrenia care.
• Lack of well-described validation processes for indicator development was noted.
• Gaps identified in indicators for substance use, reproductive health, and healthcare equity necessitate prioritization for future development.