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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07280767

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

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.

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Key information

Conditions

Psychiatric Diagnosis Mental Disorders

Age range

18 year–99 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Verksamhetsområde Vuxenpsykiatri Lund

Lund, Skåne County, 22185, Sweden

About this study

This observational study investigates the real-world effects of implementing Feedback-Informed Therapy (FIT) in a general adult psychiatric outpatient setting. FIT is designed to support person-centred care by continuously monitoring patient-reported treatment progress and therapeutic alliance. Through structured feedback, clinicians can adjust interventions or discontinue therapy when improvement is limited. The current project aims to evaluate whether the introduction of FIT influences efficiency and accessibility of psychotherapy services within routine clinical practice.

Two outpatient psychiatric clinics in southern Sweden are compared: one that implemented FIT starting in 2021 and one with standard care and no FIT-based monitoring structure. The study uses retrospective clinical administrative data and medical record information spanning 2021-2024. Data extraction includes diagnostic information, treatment activity codes, number of sessions, waiting times, and therapy initiation and termination dates. Information will be anonymised before analysis, and no patient contact or treatment alteration occurs. Access to source material is conducted using regulated research authorisation procedures.

The primary outcomes are treatment duration (measured as number of sessions) and waiting time to the start of psychotherapy.

The study seeks to determine whether FIT supports improved access and efficiency for therapeutical interventions at the clinic where it has been introduced, compared with routine practice without FIT. Results are expected to provide empirical insight into system-level changes in psychotherapy delivery within public mental health services.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient on either of the two units receiving psychotherapy

Exclusion criteria

  • Has a protected identity or protected personal information

Treatment and study plan

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. Length of therapy

    Time frame: 2022-2024

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

Secondary outcomes

  1. Waiting time

    Time frame: 2022-2024

    Number of days from decision to start therapy until actual start of therapy within 2022-2024.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Region Skane

Other

Registry information

Official study title

FIT-Implementation Study

Acronym: FIT-ACCESS

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Dec 12, 2025
Registry last updated
Dec 18, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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