The Application of the Concepts of Patient Centered Care and Self-Directed Care to Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities: Legal, Policy and Programmatic Considerations

51 Pages Posted: 26 Oct 2006

See all articles by Susan Stefan

Susan Stefan

Center for Public Representation

Date Written: October 8, 2006

Abstract

This article considers potential barriers to applying the Institute of Medicine's principle of patient centered care to individuals with psychiatric disabilities. It compares patient centered care to self-directed care, a concept used in Medicaid that is being considered for application to programs treating people with psychiatric disabilities.

The author concludes that 1) concerns about competence as a barrier to patient centered or self directed care are overstated; 2) barriers related to the involvement of the legal system in mental health treatment through commitment and compulsory medication orders create a more significant barrier to application of patient centered care and self directed care than concerns about competence; 3) the current understanding of informed consent for people with psychiatric disabilities inappropriately places too much of the burden of risky decisions on the health care professional; and 4) if self directed care were truly adopted in public mental health services, it would result in the welcome demise of the day treatment system as we know it. The paper proposes solutions to the barriers it discusses and endorses (with certain limitations) the concepts of patient centered and self directed care for people with psychiatric disabilities.

Keywords: patient centered care, self-directed care, day treatment, civil commitment, recovery, competence

Suggested Citation

Stefan, Susan, The Application of the Concepts of Patient Centered Care and Self-Directed Care to Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities: Legal, Policy and Programmatic Considerations (October 8, 2006). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=936407 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.936407

Susan Stefan (Contact Author)

Center for Public Representation ( email )

Newton, MA 02460
United States

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