The acceptability and effectiveness of patient-reported assessments and feedback in a managed behavioral healthcare setting.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether providing clinicians with the results of a patient-reported mental health assessment would have a significant impact on patients' mental health outcomes.


METHODS
The study used a portion of the SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist-90) to track the perceived mental health of 1374 patients in a managed behavioral healthcare system over 6 weeks.


METHODS
Participants were randomized into a feedback group whose clinicians received clinical feedback reports at intake and at 6 weeks, and a control group whose clinicians received no report.


RESULTS
Patients in the feedback group achieved statistically significant improvement in clinical status relative to controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the study suggests that patient-reported mental health assessments have the potential both to become acceptable to clinicians and to improve the effectiveness of clinical care.
Brodey
Benjamin B
BB
TeleSage, Inc, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. bbbrodey@telesage.com.
Cuffel
Brian
B
McCulloch
Joyce
J
Tani
Shanna
S
Maruish
Mark
M
Brodey
Inger
I
Unützer
Jürgen
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001524:Behavioral Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D030881:Disclosure; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States