Center to Collaborate on Study of Payment for Psychiatric Services

The Center is collaborating with the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and the UMBC Public Policy Department on an NIMH funded project to study the cost and quality implications of payment for psychiatric services. Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) are commonly used to pay inpatient hospitals. However, most of inpatient psychiatric care is paid per diem. The research seeks to improve psychiatric DRGs, with billing and supplemental information from medical records, so that they can be used for payment purposes. The study will also provide insight into hospital quality performance under per case payment. Dr. Hamid Fakhraei is leading the Center’s research team.

March 28, 2008