medicine – Scott D.Miller

Using Feedback Informed Treatment to Improve Medication Adherence and Reduce Healthcare Costs

Medication adherence is a BIG problem. According to recent research, nearly one-third of the prescriptions written are never filled. Other data document that more than 60% of people who actually go the pharmacy and get the drug, do not take it as prescribed. What’s the problem, you may ask? Inefficiency aside, the health risks are — read more
Psychologist Alan Kazdin Needs Help: Please Give

Look at this picture. This man needs help. He is psychologist, Alan Kazdin, former president of the American Psychological Association, and current Professor of Psychology at Yale University. A little over a week ago, to the surprise and shock of many in the field, he disclosed a problem in his professional life. In an interview… — read more
More Eruptions (in Europe and in Research)

Dateline: Tuesday, 8:21pm, April 20th, 2010, Skellefteå, Sweden What an incredible week. Spent the day today working with 250 social workers, case managers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and agency directors in the far nothern town of Skellefteå, Sweden. Many practitioners here are already measuring outcomes on an ongoing basis and using the information to improve the results of their work… — read more
Improving Outcomes in the Treatment of Obesity via Practice-Based Evidence: Weight Loss, Nutrition, and Work Productivity

Obesity is a large and growing problem in the United States and elswhere. Data gathered by the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that 33% Americans are obese. When overweight people are added to the mix, the figure climbs to a staggering 66%! The problem is not likely to go away soon or on its own as the same figures apply… — read more
"What Works" in Holland: The Cenzo Experience

When it comes to healthcare, it can be said without risk of exaggeration that "revolution is in the air." The most sweeping legislation in history has just been passed in the United States. Elsewhere, as I’ve been documenting in my blogs, countries, states, provinces, and municipalities are struggling to maintain quality while containing costs of… — read more
Outcomes in New Zealand

Made it back to Chicago after a week in New Zealand providing training and consultation. As I blogged about last Thursday, the last two days of my trip were spent in Christchurch providing a two-day training on "What Works" for Te Pou–New Zealand’s National Centre of Mental Health Research, Information, and Workforce Development. Last year… — read more
The Turn to Outcomes: A Revolution in Behavioral Health Practice

Get ready. The revolution is coming (if not already here). Whether you are a direct service provider (psychologist, counselor, marriage and family therapist), agency, broker, or funder, you will be required to measure and likely report the outcomes of your clinical work. Jay Lebow, Ph.D. Just this month, Dr. Jay Lebow, a professor of psychology at the… — read more
DODO BIRD HYPOTHESIS PROVEN FALSE! Study of PTSD finally proves Wampold, Miller, and other "common factor" proponents wrong

Researchers Anke Ehlers, Jonathon Bisson, David Clark, Mark Creamer, Steven Pilling, David Richards, Paula Schnurr, Stuart Turner, and William Yule have finally done it! They slayed the "dodo." Not the real bird of course–that beast has been extinct since the mid to late 17th century but rather the "dodo bird" conjecture first articulated by Saul Rozenzweig, Ph.D.… — read more
Why ongoing, formal feedback is critical for improving outcomes in healthcare

Not long ago, I had a rather lengthy email exchange with a well-known, high profile psychotherapist in the United States. Feedback was the topic. We both agreed that feedback was central to successful psychotherapy. We differed, however, in terms of method. I argued for the use of simple, standardized measures of progress and alliance (e.g., ORS and SRS). In support… — read more
Research on the Outcome Rating Scale, Session Rating Scale & Feedback

"How valid and reliable are the ORS and SRS?" "What do the data say about the impact of routine measurement and feedback on outcome and retention in behavioral health?" "Are the ORS and SRS ‘evidence-based?’" These and other questions regarding the evidentiary support for the ORS, SRS, and feedback are becoming increasingly common in the workshops… — read more
Outcomes in Ohio: The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Service Providers

Ohio is experiencing the same challenges faced by other states when it comes to behavioral health services: staff and financial cutbacks, increasing oversight and regulation, rising caseloads, unrelenting paperwork, and demands for accountability. Into the breach, the Ohio Council of Behavioral Health & Family Service Providers organized their 30th annual conference, focused entirely on helping… — read more