Overview of the STAndards for BipoLar Excellence (STABLE) project.

The goal of the STAndards for BipoLar Excellence (STABLE) project was to advance quality of care for bipolar disorder by promoting improved recognition and increased use of evidence-based practices. This article presents a brief overview of the project's objectives, the make-up of the STABLE National Coordinating Council, and the development and field testing of a series of evidence-based clinical performance measures. Findings from field testing of these measures are summarized and highlight the continuing gap between current care and evidence-based recommendations in many key clinical areas in psychiatric and primary care.