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AVON, Conn., May 03, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Magellan Health Services, Inc. (Nasdaq: MGLN), an industry leader in specialty health care management, 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 last month 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:
| 1. | Health improvements by the majority of participating youth; | ||||
| 2. | 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 | ||||
| 3. | Cost-savings potential through the efficient and effective use of resources. |
"This study not only demonstrates the value of the CANS-MH, a tool that is consistently used to assess children's individual needs," said Linda Toche-Manley, Ph.D., vice president of Polaris Health Directions, the company with which Magellan contracted to conduct the study. "It also demonstrates that kids can get the care that is right for them and get on the road to recovery much faster."
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.
About Magellan Outcomes360
Magellan developed Outcomes360 to measure the functional health of individuals and member groups and to monitor members' progress in treatment. Outcomes360 is a data-driven approach to clinical measurement and outcomes reporting centered on behavioral health consumers and providing concrete results for customers.
Magellan Outcomes360, in addition to use of the CANS-MH, features three evidence-based measurement instruments as its centerpieces--the Short-Form Behavioral Health Assessment (SF-BH(TM)), Consumer Health Inventory (CHI) and Consumer Health Inventory - Child Version (CHI-C)--on which Magellan collaborated with industry leaders to develop to produce reliable data reflecting members' health status.
PLEASE NOTE: Interviews are available with Barbara Dunn, manager of program innovation and outcomes for Magellan Health Services, to discuss specifics of study results.
About Magellan: Headquartered in Avon, Conn., Magellan Health Services, Inc. is a leading specialty health care management organization whose customers include health plans, employers and government agencies nationwide. Magellan's public sector behavioral health services assist approximately 1.9 million individuals in managing mental illnesses and substance abuse through innovative, community-based programs that deliver measurable outcomes and are grounded in the principles of recovery, resiliency and personal choice. In addition to behavioral health, the company operates in the areas of radiology benefits management, specialty pharmacy management, and public sector pharmacy benefits administration. Visit www.MagellanHealth.com for more information.
About Polaris Health Directions: Polaris's advanced technology and science-driven solutions are designed to capture the clinical data essential to quality improvement and enhanced organizational management. Polaris solutions provide advanced analytics to help clients improve and demonstrate to their customers the value of the client's care. With a focus on prediction, Polaris solutions do more than describe clinical change. Its systems also indicate if treatment is likely to have a positive result. Helping clients make better decisions in the present by anticipating the future will be the difference in reducing costs while improving patient care. Visit http://www.polarishealth.com for more information.
SOURCE: Magellan Health Services, Inc.
Magellan Health Services, Inc. Media Contact: Christine Barnhart, 410-953-2421
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