There are many examples of Measurement-Based Care in physical health care, where symptoms are monitored and data is gathered throughout treatment. We do so when treating diabetes, where patients with type 1 have the ability to self-monitor their glucose ad hemoglobin levels at home, with blood sugar meters that will indicate whether or not their numbers are within a safe range. This data can then be used to inform their nutrition, insulin distribution, and conversations with their practitioner— ensuring they can maintain good health and that nothing gets missed.
When it comes to mental healthcare, data hasn’t historically been used in the same way. But, the tides are shifting as providers implement Measurement-Based Care into practice, due to a clear focus in behavioral healthcare on transparency of outcomes, quality improvement, and advocacy discussions. As an example of Measurement-Based Care in practice within a mental health setting, our partners Homewood Health are using MBC to streamline their data collection process, so they can better track patient progress over time. In doing so, they’re able to understand the needs of each individual client and, at a macro-level, they can evaluate the effectiveness of each of their programs and improve their overall quality of care.