Magellan Presents Results of Five-Year Study to Provide More Effective Services to Youth
Magellan recently presented the results of a five-year study introducing an analytical model that may be used to provide more effective and efficient mental health services to youth. Magellan, working with Polaris Health Directions, defined a process and a new methodology for ensuring that youth get the right mix of behavioral health services to improve their treatment outcomes.
The study results, presented in the spring at the sixth annual CANS (Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths) Conference in San Francisco, Calif., indicate that use of a predictive algorithm leads to better alignment between the clinical needs of each child and the most effective community-based interventions to suit those needs. This improved alignment helps to provide youth and their families with faster access to the right individualized care, thereby yielding improved overall health outcomes.
“The results were very well-received among the providers and other behavioral health stakeholders at the conference, because it gives them the ability to use outcomes to more precisely inform treatment decisions,” said Barbara Dunn, MSW, LCSW, manager of program innovation and outcomes for Magellan. “This information can help tremendously in making sure children’s needs are matched more quickly with the right services.”
The study further suggests that coordinated assessment and delivery of community-based interventions result in:
- Health improvements by the majority of participating youth;
- Identification of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths – Mental Health Assessment (CANS-MH) as an effective tool for improving providers’ decision-making on prescribed services; and
- Cost-savings potential through the efficient and effective use of resources.
The study is one component of Magellan’s overall Outcomes 360SM program, a Web-based system that takes a comprehensive approach to improving behavioral health services for children and adults through the use of specially developed measurement instruments.
Overview of Study
The study was conducted in three suburban Pennsylvania counties where Magellan manages behavioral health services – Bucks, Delaware and Montgomery. Data from the CANS-MH assessment tool was used to identify youth and family mental health needs and progress. The information was then compared with data that Magellan has collected as part of its outcomes management process—data that is stored in a comprehensive utilization database.
Five distinct service patterns to individualize treatment for children were identified through the study. In comparing these patterns to the services received by children in the study, the team found a major difference between the services received and those that were most effective for each child’s needs.
The study concluded that use of its predictive model could lead to better alignment of the clinical needs of each child.