MENTAL-HEALTH OUTCOME ASSESSMENT - THE NEW AGENDA

This article reviews the new market-driven demands for mental health o utcomes research, summarizes issues pertaining to choice of outcome me asures, describes the implementation of an outcome assessment system i n a clinical environment, and suggests directions for the future. Risi ng health care costs and resulting reimbursement limitations imposed b y third-party payers have led to increased demands to justify mental h ealth services. Profiling, report cards, instrument panels, and benchm arking have emerged as methods for understanding, documenting, and rep orting quality and outcomes of treatment. Several national efforts are underway to achieve consensus on a core battery of measures to serve as a standard for a national mental health ''report card.'' An example of an outcome assessment system within a clinical setting is presente d along with outcome profiles for age, gender, and diagnostic subgroup s. Implications for the role of clinicians in outcome assessment effor ts are discussed.