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[Benchmarking using different measurement instruments and the management of measurement variability]
Background:
In mental health care centres in the Netherlands outcome data are collected using a variety of outcome instruments. This may have implications for the comparability of outcome results between different centres.
Aim:
To discuss recent findings regarding the extent to which the eight instruments currently used in clinical practice report comparable results.
Method:
Our study is based on a combination of literature review and empirical research.
Results:
The results obtained with the eight instruments are not equivalent. Patients symptom reductions appear larger with some instruments than with others.
Conclusion:
The current practice of benchmarking in the Dutch mental health system would have greater validity if the number of different instruments would be reduced. State-of-the-art calibration studies are necessary to validate the comparability of the remaining instruments. Ideally, all mental health centres will soon use one instrument per care domain to measure treatment outcome.
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