Characterizing Measurement-Based Care in the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN)

Integration of measurement-based care (MBC) into clinical practice has shown promise in improving treatment outcomes for depression. Yet, without a gold standard measure of MBC, assessing fidelity to the MBC model across various clinical settings is difficult. A central goal of the Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) was to characterize MBC across the state of Texas through the development of a standardized tool to assess the use of MBC strategies when assessing depression, anxiety, side effects, and treatment adherence. A chart review of clinical visits indicated standardized depression measures (71.2%) and anxiety measures (64%) were being utilized across sites. The use of standardized measures to assess medication adherence and side effects was limited to less than six percent for both, with the majority utilizing clinical interviews to assess adherence and side effects; yet medication was changed in nearly half. Rates of utilization of standardized measures for participants with multiple MBC forms were similar to those who only provided one form.