DEVELOPING CLINICAL-WORK PROCESSES IN A STATE PSYCHIATRIC-HOSPITAL - A CASE-STUDY

The Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation applied t he continuous quality improvement (Gal) concept of work process to the delivery of clinical services in each of its eight state psychiatric hospitals. Two different clinical processes were involved: (1) individ ualized psychiatric treatment and (2) medical treatment. The processes were then benchmarked against national lenders in the delivery of pub lic psychiatric hospital services. This case study demonstrates the ap plicability of the work process concept to a clinical environment wher e it can function as a management tool that can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of services provided to individual patients .