measurement based care mental health is a critical component of evidence-based practice and has been shown to improve patient outcomes.
It is a systematic process of assessing, treating and reviewing client outcomes throughout the treatment process using numerical frameworks. It allows clinicians to monitor symptom progress, alter their approach when patients are not responding and provide timely feedback for the entire treatment process.
MBC in Behavioral Health
There is an overwhelming body of literature demonstrating the effectiveness and benefits of measurement based care for patients with mental health problems. Research shows that measurement based care can help providers detect patient deterioration, reduce treatment response time and increase the likelihood of patients reaching remission. It also helps clinicians save time and money by enabling them to focus on those patients who respond well to treatment, thereby reducing the need for additional sessions with patients who do not.
Achieving a successful MBC program requires using brief, validated symptom rating scales that are sensitive to change and reliable. They must also be readily available during the clinical encounter and provide real-time data for clinicians to use in their decision making. It is imperative to collect symptom rating scales at regular intervals as well as during each session. The most effective way to implement measurement based care is with a software solution that automates the process and supports data-driven decision making and treatment planning.
Valant’s Behavioral Health EHR is designed to make MBC easy. Over 65 rating scales are built-in, so it’s easier than ever to integrate MBC into your practice without any coding challenges or additional workflow barriers.
Easily select brief, validated symptom rating scales and track them in your client’s treatment record. Your choice of measures will depend on what your practice specializes in and the treatment goals you have for each patient. If your practice focuses on anxiety or OCD disorders, for example, you may want to choose symptom scales that are specific to those disorders.
Selecting validated symptom rating scales is important because they are the primary tool that clinicians will use to monitor the outcome of treatment. They should be chosen based on the severity of the problem, how it is impacting daily functioning and whether or not the symptoms are increasing or decreasing.
They should be used in conjunction with a full clinical assessment to ensure that the measures are appropriate and will be meaningful to the patient. Additionally, if a patient has other medical conditions or a history of substance abuse, they should be treated in combination with the symptom-rated measures as part of an integrated evaluation and treatment plan.
Empower your clients with visibility into their own results to increase engagement, reduce drop-out rates and help them achieve their treatment goals while fostering a strong therapeutic relationship between clinician and patient. It can also be a great opportunity for clinicians to collaborate with patients on treatment goals and decisions, share their commitment to evidence-based practices and promote accountability within the practice.