Leveraging Health Information Technology to Meet The Joint Commission's Standard for Measurement-Based Care: A Case Study

Abstract

Three decades of research have shown that routinely collecting patient-reported outcomes throughout treatment to inform clinical decision making or measurement-based care (MBC) can improve clinical outcomes, yet widespread adoption continues to be elusive. This article describes how a community behavioral health center addressed Element of Performance (EP) 1 of The Joint Commission's revised MBC standard using health information technology (HIT)-facilitated MBC and a comprehensive implementation plan grounded in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Across the initial 15-month implementation period, 96.8% of patients who had an intake evaluation also completed baseline measurements via an HIT known as a measurement feedback system (MFS), and 91.5% (78.6%-100%) completed at least one repeated measure. MFS reduces many of the logistical barriers of MBC, but implementation of MFS-facilitated MBC requires a comprehensive implementation plan that includes strategies to address barriers across all relevant domains for successful uptake.