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

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.