Explanation of quality standards
Clinical guidelines, standards of care and generic standards are all
‘practice guidelines’. According to the definition of the Healthcare
Institute in the Netherlands, a practice guideline describes in general
terms what we define as good healthcare from a patients point of view.
These practice guidelines are based on the most actual knowledge, which
includes scientific knowledge as well as practice based knowledge and
patient preferences.
A standard of care describes in general terms from the perspective of
the patient what good care is for people with a certain mental disorder
during the entire care continuum or the patient journey (early detection
and prevention, diagnostic assessment and monitoring, treatment and
recovery, re-integration an participation). A standard of care sets the
(national) standard that multidisciplinary, integrated care for mental
disorders must meet. In addition, the standard of care states what the
patient can expect, not only concerning medication and psychosocial
treatment, but also when it comes to societal participation, help in the
community and the organization of care. A standard of care describes for
all parties in the mental health care system what is necessary in the
care process.
Where a standard of care relates to one specific mental disorder, a
generic standard describes healthcare components or healthcare topics
that are relevant to multiple mental disorders. For example, topics such
as self-management, support for relatives, and participation in labour
or other activities. A generic standard describes care in different
phases of the care process.
A single standard of care may be based on multiple clinical guidelines
and can refer to other relevant clinical guidelines. So, standards of
care and generic standards are based on existing clinical guidelines but
also on new scientific evidence, practice based knowledge and patients
preferences. These standards and the underlying guidelines thus form an
integral document that enables the care provider and the patient to
become acquainted with the intended content and the organization of the
care process; and subsequently to assess its practical application.
The following principles have been applied in the development of
practice guidelines for mental health care in the Netherlands:
- Perspective of the patient (and his relatives) is central.
- Matched care.
- Shared decision making.
- The right care, in the right place, by the right person, at the right
time.
- No more care than necessary and no less care than necessary.