ICHOM cited in Milken mental report

The International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement, or ICHOM, said on May 21 that the Milken Institute had referenced its mental-health outcomes work in a newly released report on global mental-health strategy. ICHOM said the citation appeared in the report’s discussion of mental-health data and system transformation. The Milken Institute report, published April 14, sets out five elements it says are core to effective mental-health strategies, including “data and measurement.” The reference links a standards-setting group focused on patient outcomes with a policy report that calls for measurable accountability in mental-health care. Milken said its recommendations emphasize collaboration among people with lived experience, the private sector, community partners and policymakers, “as well as the use of metrics to hold stakeholders accountable.” (ichom.org) ### Where did ICHOM say it was cited? ICHOM said the Milken Institute’s report, “Advancing Mental Health Worldwide: Five Core Elements for Effective Strategies,” referenced its mental-health outcomes measurement work in the section on “mental health data and system transformation.” The organization described the report as newly released in its May 21 post. (milkeninstitute.org) The Milken Institute published that report on April 14 and listed Anita Totten, Madelyn McLaughlin and Jason Richie as authors. The institute said more than one billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition and that inconsistent funding, patchwork policies and limited access to care impede progress. (ichom.org) ### What does the Milken Institute report actually call for? The Milken Institute said an effective mental-health strategy rests on five elements: prevention, education and early intervention; equitable access to care; integrated care with social supports; enhanced funding; and data and measurement. The report says those elements are needed to improve treatment options and outcomes. (milkeninstitute.org) Milken also said its recommendations stress the use of metrics to hold stakeholders accountable. That language puts measurement alongside financing, access and integration in the report’s framework rather than treating it as a secondary administrative issue. ### What is ICHOM’s mental-health measurement work? (milkeninstitute.org) ICHOM says it supports healthcare systems in measuring, comparing and improving outcomes that matter to patients through standardized outcome sets. In mental health, its depression and anxiety materials recommend the PHQ-9 for depressive symptoms and the GAD-7 for anxiety symptoms, with additional disorder-specific tools for some anxiety conditions. A 2017 paper on the standardization of outcomes assessment for depression and anxiety said an international working group selected the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 as core measures and argued that standardized assessment could improve clinical decision-making and comparability. (milkeninstitute.org) ### Why does the citation matter for mental-health delivery? The Milken Institute report does not endorse a single measurement vendor or framework in the material reviewed, but it does argue that data and measurement should be part of system design. (ichom.org) ICHOM’s May 21 statement ties that policy push to its own standardized outcomes work. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) For providers, payers and digital-health companies, that leaves a concrete reference point: Milken is calling for accountability through metrics, and ICHOM is positioning its mental-health standards as one existing approach for measuring outcomes that matter to patients. That connection is an inference from the two documents, not a direct Milken statement. (milkeninstitute.org) ### What comes next? ICHOM’s website directs users to its mental-health standard-set materials, including its depression and anxiety measures and reference guide. The Milken Institute report remains available through the institute’s research and reports hub, where the April 14 publication is listed with its authors and downloadable report page. (ichom.org) (milkeninstitute.org)