The Institute of Medicine (IOM) proposes to establish an ad hoc committee that would seek to marry clinical science with performance measurement to develop a path forward for developing quality measures for psychosocial therapies that are informed by the latest science on effectiveness. The process by which psychosocial therapies are currently validated, and coverage determinations are made, is highly variable. In addition there are a wide range of disciplines and levels of training that claim to provide effective psychosocial treatments. Variation exists in the levels of scientific evidence used to make coverage determinations, the types of studies and outcome measures used, and the evidence needed to determine the necessary dose and duration of treatments. Further, there are no standards in place to ensure treatment fidelity based, for example, on providers? training or performance metrics for providers. As a result, it is difficult for consumers and payers to understand what they are buying. This uncertainty creates skepticism among purchasers regarding the value of the average psychosocial service. The Institute of Medicine proposes to establish an ad hoc committee that will develop a framework to establish efficacy and safety standards for psychosocial interventions used to treat mental disorders. The committee will explore strategies that different stakeholders might take to help establish these standards for psychosocial treatments.
