Quality enhancement research initiative in mental health

The Veterans Administration (VA) recently introduced its Quality Enhancemen t Research Initiative (QUERI) to facilitate the translation of best practic es into usual clinical fare. The Mental Health QUERI (MHQ) was charged with developing strategic plans for major depressive disorder (MDD) and schizop hrenia. Twenty percent or more of VA service users are affected by 1 of the se 2 disorders, disorders that often have a devastating impact on affected individuals. Despite the increasing availability of efficacious treatments for each disorder, substantial gaps remain between best practices and routi ne care. In this context, the MHQ identified steps critical to the success of a sustained process of rapid-cycle health care improvement for MDD and s chizophrenia, including research initiatives to close gaps in knowledge of best treatment practices, demonstration projects to close gaps in practice and to expand understanding of effective strategies for implementing clinic al guidelines, targeted enhancements of the VA information system, and rese arch and dissemination initiatives to increase the availability of resource s to support the accelerated incorporation of best practices into routine c are. This article presents an overview of the elements in the initial MHQ s trategic plans and the rationale behind them.