TREATMENT OUTCOMES IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE, POLICY, AND RESEARCH

Outcomes research on treatments for schizophrenia has identified a num ber of efficacious interventions. The degree to which such scientific knowledge influences the care delivered in everyday practice depends o n a large number of patient, practitioner, service system, and other s ocial factors. The current atmosphere for change in the health care de livery system poses both risks and opportunities to improve care for p ersons with this disorder. Scientific knowledge about treatment outcom es must inform this rapid evolution of practice, policy, and research to ensure that effective treatments are preserved and available far al l who need them and that new treatments continue to be developed, eval uated, and disseminated.