Use of a model maturity matrix to build a quality improvement infrastructure for psychiatric care

Abstract

Despite a call to action by accreditation bodies and payers alike, the infrastructure needed to continuously improve the quality and safety of behavioral health care has been slow to develop. The causes of this are complex and multifactorial yet likely include underdeveloped leadership and capacity to sustainably improve the quality of psychiatric care. This article proposes the use of a quality improvement maturity matrix to serve as both an implementation strategy and a selfassessment measure to strategically guide this infrastructure development. The matrix describes six phases of development across three domains that are generalizable to various behavioral health care settings.