THE MHSIP MENTAL-HEALTH REPORT CARD - A CONSUMER-ORIENTED APPROACH TOMONITORING THE QUALITY OF MENTAL-HEALTH PLANS

Health care report cards have been endorsed as a mechanism for efficie ntly comparing key quantifiable aspects of performance across a range of health systems or plans. There are challenges in determining what t o measure; how to gather and analyze data; and how to report, interpre t, and use findings. Mental health has received little attention, and a consumer perspective is typically not included. The proposed MHSIP m ental health report card (MMHRC) addresses these concerns. General iss ues for report cards are discussed, and the MMHRC is described in term s of content data sources and quality, and analysis and reporting.