PQM--Psychiatry Quality Measurement.

As a consequence of an increased awareness of quality management in psychiatry the Lundbeck Institute has developed a software program called Psychiatry Quality Measurement (PQM). This is an electronic documentation and quality measurement system with a large data-collecting function to record longitudinal data of the full psychiatric visit, covering all aspects of an evaluation and follow-up. Using the full ICD-10 and DSM-IV classifications, the system has been designed to assist with quality measurement in all psychiatric diagnoses. A full statistical package is included in the program to calculate outcomes of treatment (including relapse rates, improvements in psychopathology, severity and frequency of side-effects, and costs of treatment) as tables and graphs ready for presentation in a Powerpoint format. The system is fully translatable and flexible for various implementation settings, including stand-alone PCs or hospital network systems, all ICD-10 or DSM-IV diagnoses, and the possibility of the use of over 20 psychopathology and side-effect scales to measure the quality of care of all psychiatry patients.