Considerations for Implementation of Measurement-Based Care: Focus on Solo and Small-Group Practitioners

Measurement-based care (MBC) is the structured process of repeatedly assessing patient-reported outcomes, including recovery, quality of life, function, satisfaction, and psychiatric symptomatology, to inform the process of care. Backed by years of experience and scientific evidence, the use of standardized rating scales in psychiatric practice is associated with significant gains in the efficiency of care delivery, achievement of superior clinical outcomes, and improved patient wellness and experience. Private and public payers increasingly require evidence of MBC implementation across practice settings to satisfy reimbursement criteria, and accreditation bodies are adding routine use of symptom measures to their requirements for ongoing accreditation. Several technological advances have improved the tracking of symptoms as part of routine clinical care. Despite increased calls for the adoption of MBC, the psychiatric field has been slow to implement MBC in routine practice. In 2023, the American Psychiatric Association's Board of Trustees approved as a resource document a report by the Council on Quality Care, "Implementation of Measurement-Based Care." This article reviews this resource document, including the rationale and evidence behind MBC; highlights payment and practice incentives to entice clinicians to consider more consistent MBC implementation; and describes strategies and best practices to aid MBC adoption.