Behavioral therapists in hybrid therapy practices are aware of the common practice of record reviews, often done to develop insight into their patients. They can also use many in-office sources to gain more insight into their patients. However, going through several physical sources of information can be cumbersome and time consuming. Behavioral health EHRs can help you circumvent that laborious work so you can learn more about your patients faster. Patient data is stored in a HIPAA-compliant cloud-based platform.
In this article, we discuss the insights obtained by leveraging behavioral health EHR systems in hybrid therapy practices.
1. Better record keeping
EHR systems facilitate record-keeping, and in the aggregate, this information can lead to more detailed and nuanced insight into patients’ trajectories in treatment. Many mental health providers in clinical practices attest that behavioral health EHR systems also provide better insight into the hybrid therapy practice itself.
EHR systems can be accessed and used with ease, resulting in improved efficiency and accuracy when obtaining and reviewing patients’ records, such as intake documentation, contact history, demographics, and treatment plans. From these records, behavioral health specialists can develop deep insight into their patients, enabling them to make more informed healthcare decisions. Benefits gained from this insight have a trickle-down effect, starting with the providers and eventually reaching the patients. As a result, a patient may have a more positive and engaging experience with the therapist, resulting in better rapport and more collaboration.
In short, better record-keeping gives the therapist greater insight into the patient, enabling them to make better clinical decisions.
2. Enhanced treatment outcomes and measurement of goal attainment-tracking progress for your patients
By using measurement-based care, or MBC (a core element of evidence-based practice), practitioners can engage the client in the therapeutic process. Working collaboratively with the patient, the clinician can obtain clear insight into the treatment progress and the patient’s perception of goal attainment. MBC can also help the therapist learn more about what is and isn’t working for the patient.
According to Dr. Wampold, professor emeritus of counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, MBC feedback can further inform the way that the therapist is carrying out treatment. For instance, if the patient’s symptoms are getting worse or not improving, the clinician can use this insight to change the treatment course, perhaps by changing the therapeutic approach or modifying treatment goals.
**3. Predictive analytics for patient trends **
Analyzing large groups of data can give therapists insight into the treatment of their patients. The process is known as predictive analytics, a feature that most EHR systems offer. However, many are weighing the pros and cons of analyzing data from large groups of patients. What is the cost of finding trends and other information regarding a therapist’s patients?
Some people focus on the factors that may be problematic, such as the patient’s right to have a say in how their information is utilized, legal implications, and ethical use of private information. Others focus on the positive implications of analytic features in EHR systems. According to one study, therapists can expect to have insights into the level of patients’ improvement or deterioration of symptoms. Additionally, the information obtained from these processes can be used to improve treatment outcomes and learn about any risk factors that may affect a patient’s mental health journey. The predictive analytic features of behavioral health EHRs can provide insight into clinician trends. For instance, hybrid therapy practitioners can identify those who provide high-quality care to their patients, which can leverage to develop insight about what is and is not working to treat patients.
Using predictive analytics ethically and responsibly is of utmost importance. By obtaining this insight, therapists can create better opportunities to improve treatment outcomes. Each practitioner can weigh the pros and cons of predictive analytics and choose how they would like to use the feature.
4. Medication management and treatment plan history
The e-prescribing feature of a behavioral health EHR system enables providers to share pertinent information about prescription history, side effects, and frequency of prescriptions, allowing for better communication among the behavioral health team. Therapists can learn how often a patient is seeing the psychiatrist to refill medication, in addition to any side effects that may affect the client’s mind and body and subsequently, affect psychotherapy treatment. Certain EHR systems even provide data about side effects before the patient starts a medication treatment, which may help providers become aware of changes related to medication sooner.
According to one study, treatment plan history enables practitioners to gain insight into patients’ symptom progression, regression, and accomplishments. In the aggregate, this information can be leveraged to see trends in single-patient care from the time of admission to graduation from treatment.
Behavioral therapists can improve treatment practices by leveraging insights gained from EHR systems. Insight from MBC might be the most valuable factor because it helps therapists improve their decision-making, as they can use this insight to change treatment goals to more attainable ones for the patient. In other words, therapists can periodically analyze the information provided by the patient to inform their choice of treatment, ensuring that it’s relevant. This has positive consequences for patients and may result in fewer emergencies and better clinical outcomes.
All these insights can help therapists in hybrid therapy practices develop a better understanding of their patients’ needs. Additionally, gaining insight into their perception of how their treatment is going improves rapport and increases engagement, which may improve outcomes.
Here at CarePaths, we help therapists work more effectively and improve patient outcomes. To learn more about how we can help you, start your free trial today!
