Private psychiatry and accountability: a response to the APA task force report on private practice

The authors note that the imminence of national health insurance makes it very important to determine the roles, efficiency, and effectiveness of both the private and the public sectors of mental health care. The difficulties in distinguishing public from private care are examined. The authors present estimated distributions of care by type of provider that differ from those of an American Psychiatric Association task force report on private practice. They point out the need for objective research on the quality of care in both sectors and on the effectiveness of alternative mental health systems, suggesting that public choices should be made on the basis of correct interpretations of reliable data and accountability to those being served.