Eighth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Measurement Based Care (MBC) in Mental Health is a U.S. Veterans Health Administration initiative that aims to improve health outcomes by facilitating shared decision-making and tailored treatments. Previous barriers in implementing MBC include clinician reluctance and lack of patient involvement. Mirah, a MBC technology, is a novel software platform that tracks symptoms and measures treatment progress in real time. This ongoing study evaluates the use of Mirah to alert clinicians to acute concerns, chronic problems, and strengths/assets as reported by patients. By distilling data into actionable insights shared during sessions, both clinicians and patients become actively involved in treatment planning. Quantitative data collected include assessments completed each session by patients and metadata on implementation (measure completion and feedback viewed). Pre- and post-project surveys capture clinicians’ attitudes and perspectives towards MBC. Documented observations throughout implementation will provide an additional data source that will be discussed with focus groups at the study’s conclusion. Currently, 12 clinicians and 26 patients are enrolled in this study. A growing body of research testifies to the potential merits of MBC and its effectiveness in improving mental health outcomes. Clinician and patient buy-in is critical to successful implementation of MBC in practice settings. Understanding MBC capabilities can lead to widescale acceptance of the tool and better integration in clinical workflow. Providing a best-practice model that underscores how MBC can enable accurate triage of symptoms through theory-based principles, encourage interactive data-driven goal-setting, and promote customized therapies may promote clinician-patient engagement.