Outpatient behavioral health treatment programs like Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) represent a powerful path to recovery for the growing population of people challenged with an array of mental health conditions.
We know that measuring patients’ progress with symptom reduction during treatment is a valuable tool to understand optimal patient experience and can be helpful for continued program and treatment development. We use important tools for measuring progress in our PHP and IOP treatment including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7).
These standardized self-report tools help us gauge the severity and frequency of symptoms patients are struggling with. We establish a baseline within the first few days of the treatment and use these tools throughout treatment, typically at the mid-point and again prior discharge to track symptom improvement.
We are looking to see a reduction in symptoms and to discuss changes with patients regularly to show their progress throughout their stay in PHP/IOP. Sometimes, it can be difficult for patients to feel like they are making progress in the middle of treatment due their ongoing experience of symptoms. However, seeing their scores improve can be impactful as it helps orient them to the positive results of their hard work.
In addition to helping patients reflect on their progress, the scores are documented in the patient’s electronic medical record to help their treatment team make any needed adjustments to programming and/or medication. And at discharge, the treatment team incorporates the patients progress and final objective measure scores into recommendations for next steps and aftercare.
What we have seen with the data from these tools over time is that patients tend to make the most progress when engaged in PHP/IOP treatment between 26 and 30 days. Committing to treatment for this timeframe has proven to be the sweet spot where people experience a significant reduction in symptoms. PHP and IOP treatment is a significant investment of time and energy. Yet, outcome measures suggest that even individuals who have carried emotional and psychological burdens for years can experience optimal symptom improvement with 26-30 days of treatment.
Tracking outcome scores throughout PHP and IOP not only helps clinicians monitor progress, but also provides patients with evidence of their growth, reinforcing hope and staying engaged in treatment after PHP/IOP. Outcome data allows us to confidently demonstrate that treatment works and helps patients build skills, manage stress and work toward their individual goals. Improvements in outcome scores, alongside patient experience validate the importance of engaging in PHP and IOP care.
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