The challenge of clinical program review in a changing behavioral healthcare industry: A case study in the Department of Psychiatry at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center of New York

This thesis is a case study that examines the challenge of developing an effective approach to clinical program review for behavioral healthcare services providers. The major finding of this case study is that the behavioral healthcare industry is changing based on four factors. These include market unification, the development of consumer health data systems, increasing public/private consolidation, and the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on behavioral healthcare. As public and private healthcare spending decreases, managed care matures, and delivery systems evolve, clinical program review functions as a formal process for addressing change. Using a social research approach may help clinical program reviewers focus on the effective features of the clinical program, rather than on its shortcomings. Additionally, understanding the human response to change will provide clinical program reviewers with the ability to give clinicians room for adaptation.