Does Implementation of Feedback Informed Therapy (FIT) Improve Access to Psychotherapy in Psychiatry?

NCT07280767 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Dnr 2024-04178-01
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 213
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study explores whether the introduction of Feedback-Informed Therapy (FIT) can improve access to psychotherapy within adult psychiatric outpatient care. FIT is a person-centered method where patients regularly provide structured feedback on their progress and therapeutic alliance, allowing treatment to be adjusted or concluded when needed. The purpose of this research is to investigate if implementing FIT results in shorter waiting times, and more efficient use of therapeutic resources. The project compares two similar psychiatric outpatient clinics in Sweden - one that introduced FIT in 2021 and one that did not. The study uses existing anonymized data from healthcare administrative systems and medical records. No changes are made to patients' treatment, and no new interventions are introduced. The research team will evaluate whether the clinic using FIT shows differences in treatment duration and availability the years 2022-2024. By examining real-world outcomes, this study aims to determine whether FIT supports increased access to psychotherapy and enhances person-centered care. The results may help healthcare providers and decision-makers improve mental health services and strengthen patient involvement in treatment.

Conditions

Psychiatric Diagnosis

Keywords

Feedback Informed Therapy; Routine Outcome Monitoring; Psychotherapy; Mental Health Services; Outpatient Psychiatry; Person-Centered Care; Shared Decision-Making

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Length of therapy

  Number of individual therapy sessions of all therapies that started and ended within 2022-2024

  2022-2024

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Waiting time

  2022-2024

Study Arms (2)

FIT clinic cohort

Patients receiving therapy at the clinic where FIT was implemented

Behavioral: Feedbeack Informed Therapy

Comparison clinic cohort

Patients receiving therapy at a similar outpatient psychiatric clinic where FIT was not implemented

Interventions

Feedbeack Informed Therapy BEHAVIORAL

Feedback-Informed Therapy (FIT) is a structured feedback system integrated into routine psychotherapy at one outpatient psychiatric clinic. Patients complete standardized progress and alliance rating measures at each session, and therapists use this feedback to guide clinical decision-making. Treatment plans may be adjusted or concluded based on the monitored development, allowing for early identification of non-response and collaborative treatment modification. This intervention differs from standard psychotherapy by incorporating continuous outcome monitoring, shared decision-making, and patient-reported feedback as a core component of each session. FIT was implemented in 2021 at one clinic, while the comparison clinic continued usual treatment without systematic feedback tools. No new treatment modality is added; instead, regular psychotherapy is supported by real-time feedback to optimize treatment duration and therapeutic accessibility.

FIT clinic cohort

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of adults receiving psychotherapy at two general psychiatric outpatient clinics in southern Sweden. These clinics provide publicly funded care for conditions such as mood and anxiety disorders, personality difficulties, neurodevelopmental disorders, self-harm, and eating disorders. Patients are typically referred from primary care or via self-referral. All individuals with registered contact and documented treatment activity between 2021 and 2024 at either clinic are included. No direct patient recruitment occurs, as the study is based on anonymized clinical and administrative health record data.

You may qualify if:

• Patient on either of the two units receiving psychotherapy

You may not qualify if:

• Has a protected identity or protected personal information

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Region Skane: lead

Study Sites (1)

Verksamhetsområde Vuxenpsykiatri Lund

Lund, Skåne County, 22185, Sweden

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Director

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 1, 2025
• First Posted: December 12, 2025
• Study Start: September 1, 2024
• Primary Completion: November 30, 2025
• Study Completion: November 30, 2025
• Last Updated: December 18, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SE (1)