IAPT outcome feedback trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Multi-site randomised controlled trial of outcome feedback in IAPT services
IRAS ID
196441
Contact name
Jaime Delgadillo
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of York
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN12459454
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 4 days
Research summary
Recent studies have demonstrated that regularly monitoring symptom changes and response to treatment can help to identify patients who are more or less likely to benefit from psychological interventions. ‘Outcome feedback’ (OF) studies track individual patients’ progress using brief questionnaires that measure symptom severity, and the results are plotted into a chart that shows changes from session-to-session. The individual patient’s symptoms are routinely compared to a chart showing the expected rate of improvement over the course of treatment, which is derived from treatment records for a comparable clinical population. Depending on how close the patient’s progress matches the expected recovery chart, cases are flagged up as ‘on track’ or ‘not on track’, and feedback about this is provided to clinicians and patients. This feedback system can be integrated within existing electronic clinical information systems used in routine practice to keep case notes and client data. Research in this field demonstrates that using OF methods can help to improve outcomes for patients at risk of poor progress.
Although outcome feedback has been shown to be effective in other healthcare systems (USA, Europe), this technology has not been robustly tested in primary care psychological services in the UK. Our study aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of using this technology in services aligned to the English IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) programme.
Informed by our previous feasibility study (REC Ref: 15/NW/0675), we will recruit a minimum of 80 psychological therapists from 4 NHS Trusts into a controlled trial where half will use OF methods to inform treatment and half will continue offering usual care. We will assess if supplementing therapy with OF prevents some patients’ depression and anxiety symptoms from deteriorating, by comparison to usual treatment.REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/2200
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jan 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion