Behavioral health-focused electronic health record (EHR) software can help psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counselors manage information for patients by keeping all records and forms in one streamlined digital location. It can also help improve therapy outcomes.
EHR software is a technological solution that digitizes patient records. As with the standard medical version, a behavioral health EHR supports recordkeeping for patients undergoing psychological or mental health counseling and makes information available securely via a computer network. It can offer many benefits for the patient and the mental healthcare provider.
A behavioral health EHR helps mental healthcare providers organize and automate the process of working with a patient. It contains patient records (treatment progress, psychotherapy notes, diagnosis, and treatment plans), house intake and other forms, assessments, and other materials that support interactions with a patient.
Having all information within one system enables the patient and therapist to interact and work together in a way that supports shared therapy outcomes.
A behavioral health EHR system can include patient worksheets, assessments, and follow-ups that the patient can fill out online. Following their completion, both the patient and therapist have access to them. This creates an open conversation and collaboration around these therapeutic markers and enables the patient to check back and provide perspective on their symptoms, well-being, and progress. These interactions also build trust and motivation. Research shows that the relationship between patient and therapist is vital to successful therapy, even more than the type of therapy practiced.
With a behavioral health EHR, patients can watch their progress along with their therapist, which can encourage open conversation and reduce misperceptions by either party. If any differences of opinion exist, the patient and therapist can adjust before any misunderstandings grow. This can lead to more proactive adjustments in therapy and provide an opportunity for the treatment plan to meet current needs and understandings.
Measuring progress throughout treatment has been proven to improve the quality of therapy outcomes. Behavioral health EHRs support measurement-based therapy with the ability to routinely collect patient-reported outcomes throughout treatment, share this feedback over time, and act on this data.
As the only complete EHR with built-in tools for MBC, CarePaths lets you effortlessly capture comprehensive data on different aspects of the therapeutic process. Forms and questionnaires in the EHR simplify measurements because patients can complete forms online. They are also less likely to forget to complete or lose an online form, and even if patients do forget, reminders can be built into the system. Research shows that patients who fill out these types of forms know more about their conditions, fluctuations, and warning signs.
Automated workflows that are simple to administer can be built into the behavioral health EHR to support the gathering of information from questionnaires, along with other assessments, such as the PHQ-9 and GAD-7. These can be set up with timelines to work within a patient’s therapy goals, so assessments can be delivered at the right time.
Once the patient completes the assessments, the software can help distill the gathered details into graphs and reports. These can be helpful in gaining a better perspective on patient progress. The information can then be shared with the patient and built into future goals.
By making all patient information available electronically, behavioral health EHRs can reduce treatment errors. The software can detect potential interactions between new medications that are prescribed when a patient’s complete history and all the medications that they are taking are incorporated into their record. Other information can also be included to avoid complications, such as allergies.
An ONC-Certified EHR like CarePaths makes it simpler to integrate with other EHRs used by other providers and pharmacists. Therapists can prescribe medications electronically for patients, which most patients prefer. In a recent survey, 92% of patients were happy that their doctor used e-prescribing.
Using behavioral health EHR also simplifies the process of sharing information with providers who are also treating the patient. With the release of information, records can be shared electronically, which can be helpful in emergencies when sharing paper records quickly is impossible.
Overall, the benefits of a behavioral health EHR can improve therapy outcomes. Using this type of software to manage recordkeeping for patients undergoing psychological or mental health counseling makes information available securely via a computer network and can automate workflows and minimize potential errors.
Offering an opportunity for the patient and therapist to interact in new ways also supports greater collaboration and open conversation.
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!
