RMS (Rapid Mood Screener) Tool

The RMS was developed in a 3-step process. First, a review of the literature on bipolar disorder was conducted. Next, an initial set of test items was drafted by a multidisciplinary team (eg, primary care clinicians, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychiatrists, etc.), who then evaluated the draft items among a group of adults with bipolar I disorder and modified them based on their findings. Finally, the next iteration of the draft underwent validation testing in a sample of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of bipolar I disorder or MDD.¹ The test items were specifically written in a way that is easy for patients to understand, hence why it is considered a pragmatic screening tool.¹

The RMS includes 6 items (“yes” or “no” questions)—3 items that screen for depressive characteristics that are more likely to indicate bipolar I disorder than MDD, and 3 items that screen for mania.¹ It is scored by counting the total number of “Yes” responses. A “Yes” response on 4 or more items is considered a positive screen and thus suggests a very high likelihood of bipolar I disorder. A positive screen should be followed by a full diagnostic evaluation.¹

Finally, a “Yes” response on 3 or more items is more suggestive of bipolar I disorder than MDD, with a sensitivity of 97%, a specificity of 59%, and an accuracy rate of 77%.¹