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Performance accountability-also frequently referred to as quality improvement in the fields of medicine and public policy-is under growing scrutiny in mental and behavioral health care. As one high-profile example, psychologists and other mental health providers will be deemed "eligible clinicians" under the 2015 Medicare Access and Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act starting in 2019. This will incentivize psychologists to track their Medicare patients' clinical outcomes and report them in data registries, and those who do not will suffer a reimbursement penalty. However, many psychologists are not aware of these developments or prepared for this change. The goal of this article is to provide information to psychologists about quality improvement and clinical data registries from four distinct, though overlapping, vantage points: professional governance, quantitative research, qualitative research, and clinical practice. We review recent regulations and research in this area, with an emphasis on exploring both the potential benefits and challenges of quality improvement. We conclude by providing recommendations for the field of psychology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

This special section of the Journal of Personality Assessment addresses many of the most important issues in assessment today. Assessment is one of psychology's scope-of-practice domains not duplic...

The American Psychological Association (APA), located in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional membership organization representing psychology in the USA. Psychologists are uniquely positioned to develop and contribute to QI systems given their extensive training as a profession in research methodology (i.e., outcome measurement methodology), service delivery and clinical skills, and program evaluation. APA is currently involved in two initiatives specific to QI: (1) provision of resources pertaining to collection and reporting of psychotherapy outcomes, and (2) the clinical practice guideline initiative. Moreover, APA has provided guidance to psychologists on how to evaluate and make decisions about participating in QI programs. With current and future QI systems and programs in place, APA in partnership with the APA Practice Organization will be able to contribute substantially to the clinical work of psychologists and to improved behavioral and mental health outcomes for the patients who seek psychological services.