Assessing outcomes in clinical practice

We are witnessing a remarkable explosion in interest and activity in quantifying outcomes and using these measures to enhance the value of clinical care. Outcomes assessment has become an imperative for clinical practice. This paper first will offer criteria for an ideal system of outcomes assessment. The paper will then review the principal domains of assessment for psychiatric practice and provide examples of instruments available in each domain. We will then describe the use of two instruments, one for clinical outcome and one for interpersonal aspects of patient satisfaction, developed and used at McLean Hospital. The relation between outcomes assessment and outcomes management will then be discussed. Finally, we will discuss the fundamental questions a clinical group or facility might consider in choosing outcomes measurement instruments.