ADCRR is at the forefront of proactive Mental Health Care identification, tracking, follow-up and treatment. The Mental Health Score (MH Score) Program has been fully incorporated into TechCare®. Together with the EHR’s unique ability to meaningfully report on patient health outcomes, the State’s users will continue to have innovative tools and technology to support their patients’ evolving Mental Health needs.
The Mental Health Score form in TechCare® is key to viewing, adding and adjusting the patient’s current MH Score. You can access this form from the Main Patient Screen through the Forms button, but is also launched from the first checkbox on every Behavioral Health focused encounter document in TechCare®:
Following a few procedural questions, selecting the score itself then completing this form triggers all the necessary logic to ensure compliance and best practices are adhered to:
- MH Score flag is set (e.g. MH-3E)
*Note* – Despite relying on the system’s flag module for identification and tracking, MH Score step ups or downs should only be managed within the forms and dashboards.
- Previous MH Score flag (if applicable) is discontinued
- Patient is automatically enrolled into the MH Score Program dashboard under the Program Administration option.
*Note* – This does not include MH-1 and MH-2 per policy
Using MH-3E as an example, the patient is added to the MH Score Program, which you can access from the Global Menu on the Main Patient Screen along the left:
While the Mental Health Score form is integral in maintaining the Score itself in TechCare®, the MH Score Program Dashboard is the only area of the EHR where the required encounters can and should be launched for consistency, visibility compliance tracking.
*Note* – The presentation, processes and usages of the MH Score dashboard functions the same regardless of the score. What varies is the recurrence and type of encounters required for each score. The table below defines each. MH-3E is used in the example.
Clicking the Score tab displays the following information columns:
- First Name
- Last Name
- ADCRR Number
- Mental Health Score – Displays the recently completed Mental Health Score forms during the patient’s time in the MH Score program.
- Mental Health Progress Note – Displays the Mental Health Progress Note that has been recently completed during the patient’s time in this MH Score program.
- Psychiatric Progress Note – Displays the Psychiatric Progress Note that has recently been completed during the patient’s time in this MH Score program.
- Face-To-Face (Mental Health) – Each score has an associated Mental Health Face-To-Face timer that shows how quickly a Face-to-Face appointment must be completed per ADCRR requirements. To satisfy the timer, you must complete a Mental Health Progress Note form. Once you completed this form, the system resets the timer. If this Progress Note is not completed before the timer runs out, the system highlights the patient’s name in red to indicate it is overdue.
- Face-To-Face (Psychiatric) – The majority of scores have an associated Psychiatry Face-To-Face timer that shows how quickly a Face-to-Face appointment must be completed per ADCRR requirements. To satisfy the timer the user must complete a Psychiatric Progress Note. If this Progress Note is not completed before the timer runs out, the system highlights the patient’s name in red to indicate it is overdue.
Use the toggle next to the patient’s name to open an Action dropdown menu with the following options:
- Mental Health Score – Used to set the appropriate MH Score Flag and move patients throughout the MH Score Workflow Queues
- Mental Health Progress Note – Used to satisfy Face-to-Face (Mental Health) Timer
- Psychiatric Progress Note – Used to satisfy Face-to-Face (Psychiatric) Timer
Select the action you want to take for the patient, then click the Perform Action button to complete the action.
Moving a patient from one queue to another:
If a new Mental Health Score form is completed with a new MH Score checked at the bottom of the form, then the patient will move to the new MH Score Workflow Queue with the appropriate MH Score flag set on their chart.
For example, if the patient is currently MH-3E, and a new Mental Health Score form is completed updating them to MH-4, the following will occur:
- MH-3E flag is deactivated and an MH-4 flag is activated on the patient’s chart.
- The patient is automatically moved from the MH-3E workflow queue to the MH-4 workflow queue
NOTE: Selecting More Information > Expanded View displays additional fields on the patient ribbon, including the patient’s current MH Score.
