Assessing outcome in practice

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Abstract
The measurement of mental health outcomes has evolved from unstandardized, global, uni-dimensional assessments to those which assess multiple perspectives, using standardized rating scales for specific treatment related issues. What criteria are useful when choosing instruments to measure particular outcomes of specific treatments or services? A conceptual scheme is described which categorizes outcome instruments based on key characteristics. This scheme can be used to guide the selection of measures for a particular purpose. Intepreting outcomes has progressed from simply considering statistical significance to the assessment of clinical significance. Summary reports that provide information regarding the number of clients who make clinically meaningful changes will provide understandable and useful data for both mental health administrators and clinicians.