Routine outcome monitoring: The need for case examples

Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) involves measuring an outcome variable (e.g., symptoms and alliance) at a regular interval over time (e.g., before each session), using a standardized patient self-report measure. Several computerized ROM system exists that also provide the therapist with benchmarks for these measures based on expected treatment responses (ETRs) for a patient, and clinical support tools (CSTs) to help the therapists in making clinician decisions in the treatment. When implementing ROM into clinical practice, a therapist needs to decide what patient-self report measure to use as well as what ROM system might be most clinically helpful and cost-effective. Although the use of ROM has shown to be effective, especially in reducing dropout and reducing deterioration of patients, the implementation of ROM can be challenging. The use of ROM always requires the active involvement of the therapist, but the implementation in treatment may look different for each patient. It is thus helpful to see case illustration of exactly how ROM might be useful or not so useful in clinical practice.