Patient Care Monitoring Review at a Psychiatric Hospital for Adolescents

Abstract

Patient care monitoring review (PCMR) allows a mental health facility's professional staff to collectively address difficult cases. The Devereux Center, a psychiatric hospital in Kennesaw, Georgia, conducted a study examining its PCMR system's effectiveness in individual cases. The study also looked at PCMR cases in aggregate to identify problematic trends in patient care. Findings showed that the hospital's PCMR system was generally effective: Few patient cases were referred to PCMR more than once for the same or similar reasons, and most recommendations made by the PCMR committee were followed by the hospital's direct care staff. Aggregate analysis of PCMR cases identified several patient groups whose needs could be better met through more individualized and specialized forms of care. As a result of the study, several improvements were made in both the hospital's structure of care and the PCMR system.