A Regional Assessment of the Quality of Care for People With Schizophrenia in the Netherlands

This study examined the quality of mental health care for people with schizophrenia in eight regions in the Netherlands as assessed by the QUARTS: Quality Assessment of Regional Treatment Systems for Schizophrenia. The focus was on determining whether the introduction of multidisciplinary guidelines improved quality in service provision. Methods: The QUARTS, a standardized interview instrument, addresses the availability of and satisfaction with services from the perspectives of clinicians, patients, families, and community organizations. The first QUARTS assessment was done about the time the guidelines were introduced in the Netherlands (2005), and the second was two to four years later. Results: In all regions progress was made in the availability of care elements, although progress was limited for evidence-based rehabilitation interventions. Conclusions: Key clinicians in all regions perceived the guidelines as an important factor in improving the quality of schizophrenia care. QUARTS can be a helpful instrument for service monitoring and development. (Psychiatric Services 62: 789-792, 2011)