In the psychotherapy industry, the vast majority of patients approach you with the expectation that you will be able to help them overcome any issues they’re having with their mental or behavioral health.
But how do you really know if your recommended treatment measures up to their expectations?
Well, you do that by measuring their therapy progress over time. Here are four reasons why this is an important aspect of every behavioral health professional’s practice.
Reason #1: You want to know whether your approach is working
Both you and your patient spend time, money, and effort on your chosen method of treatment. Tracking their progress allows you to know if both of your resources are being spent effectively — or if they’re better off trying something (or someone) else.
There are a wide variety of approaches to improve a person’s behavioral and mental health, and not all of them will be a good fit for your patient.
Reason #2: Measuring therapy progress makes treatment more effective
Keeping track of your patient’s therapy outcomes also allows you to see your patient’s progress over the course of their treatment. It allows you to catch even the smallest of changes, helping you to tweak or changes things along the way if necessary.
Reason #3: It allows you to catch negative outcomes quickly
Studies have shown that therapists tend to overlook signs of negative change in their patients and typically hold rose-colored views of their patients’ outcomes.
However, carefully measuring the progress of your patients gives you a more objective look at their progress and helps you to note negative changes if and when they appear. This allows you to address these changes immediately and maintain the progress both of you have made so far.
Reason #4: Tracking progress lets you know when treatment is complete
Early on in your treatment, you and your patient should have worked together to establish goals for their treatment. Ideally, this should have also included what success looks like (and what it doesn’t).
By tracking your patient’s growth over time, you’ll be able to see the signs that indicate your patient has successfully completed therapy and when their treatment has come to an end.
Book your free consultation today
When you need a simple way to understand and manage your patients’ behavioral health outcomes, choose us.
MyOutcomes is the industry leader in web-based PCOMS, with a recently-launched app that provides real-time feedback to help you improve your care over time. Whether you run an in-person or telehealth practice, you’ll find our software indispensable.
Our electronic interface lays everything out for you simply, so you can focus on your time with each patient rather than figuring out how to use the system. Meanwhile, real-time updates allow you to immediately catch any negative changes in your patients so you can address them quickly and appropriately.
Book your free 30-minute consultation on our website to talk with one of our PCOMS specialists. Or, feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about our software.