This article provides an overview of Measurement-Informed Care (MIC), the benefits to both therapist and client, and how to utilize MIC in your practice.
What is measurement-informed care?
At Rula, we’re committed to equipping both you and your clients with the best clinical tools available to drive meaningful, effective treatment. One such tool is MIC which involves brief, regular assessment of client-reported symptoms and the therapeutic alliance.
This data helps you collaboratively plan treatment, make informed care decisions, and drive clinical progress with your clients.
What are the benefits of measurement-informed care?
Just like a doctor uses vitals data each visit, such as measuring your blood pressure and body temperature to best understand care needs, routine use of MIC in therapy is a valuable tool that helps you track progress, identify new treatment needs, and celebrate milestones. Consider it one more piece of the clinical puzzle that you now have at your fingertips.
Clients benefit from MIC as it provides an objective avenue to provide direct feedback about their symptoms and experiences in treatment, strengthening the therapeutic alliance and keeping their voice at the center of care.
This collaborative approach is why MIC is gaining widespread support in behavioral health. Both the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association endorse MIC for its ability to improve client outcomes.
How do I use measurement-informed care at Rula?
Use validated measures
Rula offers brief, self-reported assessments for clients 11 and older. These measures track both symptom severity and the therapeutic alliance, taking only minutes to complete, and include the following:
- GAD-7: Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 for anxiety
- PHQ-9 or PHQ-A (modified for adolescents): Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 for depression
- C-SSRS Screener: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale for suicidal ideation, plan, and intent
- CAGE-AID: Drug and alcohol use screener (one-time baseline measure for new clients)
- Therapeutic Alliance questions
Rula is expanding our toolkit! We have future plans to provide a wider range of MIC tools through a measurement library. This library will include a wide array of clinical measurement tools across diagnoses and populations, allowing you to personalize care even further. |
Routine assessment
Rula automatically collects the data for you! Two days prior to each session, every client 11 and older is automatically emailed a link to complete the measurement surveys.
- For the Initial Assessment, clients will receive a baseline measurement survey 2 Days prior to the appointment.
- Once treatment has begun, clients will receive an ongoing measurement survey 2 days prior to every appointment (but no more than once per week).
For client safety, Rula automatically flags potential risks. If a client answers affirmatively to thoughts of suicide or self-harm on the PHQ-9 (Question #9) or any item on the C-SSRS Screener, they'll see a real-time pop-up with the following information:
“We are glad you are in care with us. Based on your survey responses, we’ve noticed you might need some additional support or resources. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text 988 to be connected with the 24-hour Suicide and Crisis Helpline. If this is a life-threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Additional resources that might be helpful at this time can be found HERE.”
Please note, however, that this does not take the place of your clinical risk assessment, safety planning, and related interventions when you meet with the client to support client safety.
Review results
Once your client completes the measurement survey link, the “Measures” section of the client chart in the Rula provider portal will display any measurement surveys that the client has submitted. Please check out this article for more information on how to locate these results in the portal.
Note: Before their appointment, you can verify if your client has finished the measurement survey and send a reminder if needed. Check out the article HERE to learn more. |
Want to learn more about each of the measures that clients receive, including the questions, scoring, and clinical interpretation? Check out these quick guides on:
Note: If a client reports not receiving their survey, they should first check their junk and spam folders for emails mentioning "check-in survey." Our system automatically sends the MIC surveys to the email the account is registered with. Clients can locate their registered email address in the "Forms" section in their Rula patient portal. If the client is 11-17, the email might be sent to a parent/guardian. Please discuss this with your client’s parent/guardian to be sure they get access to the survey link. |
Clinical incorporation
Turn data into action! Review the results with your client and discuss how they impact care planning. MIC enhances, not replaces, your clinical assessment. It allows you to tailor treatment and monitor clinical progress.
Want to see it in action? Check out the resources below for practical tips and examples of using MIC in sessions and in a variety of clinical contexts.
- Reviewing measurement-informed care in session with clients
- Strategies for increasing completion of measurement-informed care surveys
- Navigating slow client progress on measurement-informed care surveys
- Responding to increases in symptom severity on measurement-informed care surveys
- Responding to ruptures in the therapeutic alliance
- Addressing discrepancies between measurement-informed care survey scores and clinical presentation
- Responding to decreases in scores on measurement-informed care surveys and clinical improvement
Questions about measurement-informed care?
For more information on the use of MIC at Rula, reach out to our Clinical quality team at quality@rula.com.