Improving the quality of care for older adults with mental disorders: the outcomes-based treatment planning system of the NH-Dartmouth Psychiatric Research Center.

Abstract

This research brief provides information about an initiative, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to provide clinicians with an integrated system for assessing client needs, planning effective treatment, and measuring treatment outcomes for the growing population of older adults with mental disorders. The initiative, called the Outcomes-Based Treatment Planning (OBTP) System, aims to provide clinicians and policy makers with important information about the outcomes and effectiveness of treatment. The study investigated whether clinicians' ability to recognize and treat mental illness in older adults could be improved. Further, it investigated whether the consistent use of tools specifically designed for this population could both inform treatment and give policymakers important data, more specific treatments, and better chart documentation of both initial severity and client progress over time.