Quality assurance and documentation in the communal psychiatric combine (GPV) - A standardized procedure for regional recording and steering of community-based mental health care

This paper describes a standardized assessment-procedure for the so-called "Gemeindepsychiatrische Verbunde" in Germany (GPV-Dokumentation), which are regional combines of community-based mental health care services. It is th e first procedure in Germay which puts data on psychiatric care offers, nee ds for care and service utilization of all sectors and services in communit y-based mental health care into standardized measures, thus making offers a nd care of these services comparable. The procedure can be applied to the d aily routine of catchment areas. From a methodical point of view the CPV-Do kumentation keeps a functional approach to community-based mental health ca re, but additionally it enables services to describe their specific contrib ution to regional care separately from others. Annual follow-ups make the G PV-Dokumentation an ideal tool for planning purposes, care management and q uality assurance. Cross-regional comparisons of standards of care are possi ble. The implementation will also enhance the quality of governmental healt h reports on the care of chronically mentally ill in Germany remarkably.