This article outlines strategies and tips providers can use with patients to address decreases in symptom severity identified by measurement-informed care (MIC) surveys and noted clinical progress.
Strategies for responding to decreases in scores on surveys
Here are some strategies and tips for addressing marked clinical improvement on MIC surveys.
Highlight clinical progress
A key strength of measurement-informed care is that the data is self-reported by the patient. It focuses on their experience, not your assessment. Tracking how scores (based on their responses) decrease over time becomes a powerful tool. It offers objective evidence of progress, especially for patients who struggle to see their own improvement.
Consider holding space in session to pull up past scores (overall or by item level) to discuss the patient’s journey. Explore changes since their baseline: What has improved? What efforts or changes have contributed to this progress? This helps patients connect the dots between the process of self-monitoring symptoms (via routine completion of self-report measures) and achieving their treatment goals.
Review, reflect, and celebrate often
Treatment momentum matters. Seeing positive changes fuels motivation and keeps patients engaged in treatment. Regularly reviewing self-reported measures is an excellent way to build and maintain this momentum, allowing both you and the patient to celebrate even small improvements. Every step counts!
For example, imagine a patient struggling with anxiety. Six weeks ago, they reported having trouble relaxing "nearly every day" (item #4 on the GAD-7). Today, they report "several days." Celebrate this decrease in frequency! Find ways to tie it to the treatment plan and acknowledge their progress, even if there's more work to be done.
Loop back to the treatment plan
As progress shows (through improved scores and achieved goals), it's time to revisit the treatment plan. There should be a collaborative discussion focused on whether initial treatment goals and objectives have been met and if new ones are needed.
Many providers target one or two specific symptoms at a time. For instance, with a provider scoring high for depressive symptoms on the PHQ-9, we might initially focus on feelings of worthlessness and failure, as decided collaboratively with the patient, building objectives and interventions around that. Once improvement occurs, the treatment plan can be updated to reflect new goals and objectives addressing other symptoms of depression that may be present, such as lethargy and poor sleep.
Key takeaways
Reviewing MIC survey scores can serve as a celebration opportunity! It's a chance for you and your patient to acknowledge progress, big or small. This reflection helps patients see changes they might miss, keeps them motivated, and builds hope for the future.
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