Mental health quality assurance. Development of the American Psychological Association/CHAMPUS program.

In this article, quality assurance efforts in the field of mental health are discussed, especially concerning the reviews of outpatient clinical services. The recently established American Psychological Association APA/CHAMPUS program is described in detail, a national program of peer review that is illustrative of the major conceptual and professional issues inherent in the mental health quality assurance process. Throughout the article, comparisons are made between quality assurance in the medicine and mental health fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]