Designing Technologies for Value-based Mental Healthcare: Centering Clinicians' Perspectives on Outcomes Data Specification, Collection, and Use

TL;DR

This study explores clinicians' perspectives on designing health information technologies that support outcomes data collection and use in value-based mental healthcare, aiming to improve care quality and stakeholder accountability.

Contribution

It provides insights into clinicians' needs and considerations for developing technologies that facilitate outcomes data specification, collection, and application in value-based mental health care.

Findings

Clinicians emphasize aligning outcomes data with payment and care goals.

Opportunities exist for personal devices to enhance data collection.

Considerations are needed for using outcomes data to ensure stakeholder accountability.

Abstract

Health information technologies are transforming how mental healthcare is paid for through value-based care programs, which tie payment to data quantifying care outcomes. But, it is unclear what outcomes data these technologies should store, how to engage users in data collection, and how outcomes data can improve care. Given these challenges, we conducted interviews with 30 U.S.-based mental health clinicians to explore the design space of health information technologies that support outcomes data specification, collection, and use in value-based mental healthcare. Our findings center clinicians' perspectives on aligning outcomes data for payment programs and care; opportunities for health technologies and personal devices to improve data collection; and considerations for using outcomes data to hold stakeholders including clinicians, health insurers, and social services financially accountable in value-based mental healthcare. We conclude with implications for future research designing and developing technologies supporting value-based care across stakeholders involved with mental health service delivery.