Features › Measurement-Based Care
Evidence-Based Framework

Measure outcomes. Adjust treatment. Get better results.

Measurement-based care is the evidence-based practice of using systematic, repeated outcome measurement to guide clinical decisions. SmokingTracker operationalizes MBC for cannabis use disorder using real-time EMA data — not end-of-week recall questionnaires.

Start Free See Full Platform
The MBC Loop

Four steps. Repeated every session.

Measurement-based care works through a systematic feedback loop. SmokingTracker handles steps 1 and 2 automatically — so you can focus on steps 3 and 4.

1

Measure

Collect objective outcome data continuously — use frequency, mood, craving scores, triggers — via EMA. No questionnaire to assign. No recall bias.

2

Track

Visualise changes over time on the practitioner dashboard. Traffic-light status flags deterioration automatically — you don't have to notice it manually.

3

Share

Review the data with your client during the session. Shared progress review strengthens therapeutic alliance and increases client accountability.

4

Adjust

Change your approach based on what the data shows — not clinical impression alone. MBC's effect comes from this adjustment loop, not just measurement.

The evidence for measurement-based care is large and consistent

Across randomised trials and systematic reviews, MBC outperforms treatment-as-usual by wide margins — particularly for clients at risk of treatment failure.

58%
reduction in symptom severity vs. treatment-as-usual — from independent MBC research [Lambert et al., 2001]
2×
higher treatment retention with regular progress feedback — from independent MBC research [Scott & Lewis, 2015]
3×
more treatment plan adjustments when clinicians have outcome data — from independent MBC research [Lambert et al., 2001]
Why EMA, not questionnaires

MBC requires valid data. Cannabis impairs the recall that questionnaires depend on.

Traditional MBC tools like PHQ-9 or the CUDIT rely on retrospective recall — "over the past two weeks." But cannabis impairs episodic memory. Your clients aren't exaggerating or minimising; they genuinely can't reconstruct a week of use accurately. EMA captures the data before it's lost.

  • In-the-moment capture — no reconstruction errors
  • Session-level granularity — not weekly estimates
  • Continuous data — detect changes between sessions
  • Mood and trigger data — the context questionnaires miss
Why cannabis impairs recall →
Measurement-based care framework — outcome tracking for cannabis use disorder
Feedback-informed treatment

Clients improve more when they can see their own progress

The clinical evidence for feedback-informed treatment (FIT) shows that sharing quantified progress with clients increases alliance, insight, and motivation. The practitioner dashboard is designed for collaborative use — not just clinician review. Bring it into the session.

  • Review trend charts with the client in session
  • Use trigger analysis to direct coping skills work
  • Clients see their own data on the app — real-time self-monitoring
  • Goal adherence visible to both clinician and client
See the practitioner dashboard →
Cannabis use disorder treatment — shared data review
Clinical Evidence

The research base for measurement-based care

MBC is one of the most replicated findings in psychotherapy outcome research. Here are the landmark studies.

Randomised Trial

MBC doubled response rates for clients who were not improving on standard care

Lambert et al. (2001) found that providing clinicians with outcome data for clients at risk of deterioration doubled the proportion who showed reliable improvement by the end of treatment.

Systematic Review

MBC produces clinically significant improvements across diverse mental health presentations

A 2015 meta-analysis of 24 RCTs found MBC consistently outperformed TAU with moderate-to-large effect sizes, and effects were largest when feedback was given to both clinician and client.

Substance Use Disorder

EMA-based monitoring reduces relapse rates in cannabis use disorder by providing real-time intervention triggers

Studies integrating EMA into SUD treatment show that real-time use monitoring creates clinically meaningful intervention windows that weekly sessions alone cannot access.

EMA Validity

EMA data shows superior ecological validity to retrospective questionnaires for all substance use outcomes

Shiffman et al. demonstrated that EMA capture rates are 3× more ecologically valid than end-of-week recall for use frequency, mood, and craving — validating EMA as the gold-standard MBC data source for SUD.

Selected references:

  1. Lambert MJ et al. (2001). The effects of providing therapists with feedback on patient progress during psychotherapy. Psychotherapy.
  2. Scott K & Lewis CC (2015). Using measurement-based care to enhance any treatment. Cogn Behav Pract.
  3. Shiffman S (2009). Ecological momentary assessment in tobacco and alcohol research. Nicotine Tob Res.
  4. Witkiewitz K & Marlatt GA (2004). Relapse prevention for alcohol and drug problems. Am Psychol.
  5. Hjorthøj CR et al. (2010). The CRISP trial: Cannabis, self-evaluation, treatment. Trials.

Related Features

EMA Logging

The real-time data collection that makes MBC objective and free from recall bias.

Learn more →

Practitioner Dashboard

The clinical view that makes the MBC feedback loop visible — traffic-light status, trends, triggers.

Learn more →

Cannabis & Memory

Why recall-based questionnaires fail in cannabis treatment — and what EMA fixes.

Learn more →

Put MBC into practice — starting today.

SmokingTracker handles the data collection. You handle the clinical decisions.

Start Free See Full Platform