Inpatient psychiatric facilities nationwide face $1.7 billion a year in compliance costs from outdated and inconsistent interpretations of guidelines from federal and state agencies that do little to ensure high-quality care, according to a new report [PDF].
"We have to be cognizant of the fact that we're meeting standards, but we need some flexibility in how to achieve those standards because every situation can be a little different based upon the needs of the patient that's receiving the care,”…