CONCEPTUALIZATION AND MEASUREMENT OF PATIENT CHANGE DURING PSYCHOTHERAPY - DEVELOPMENT OF THE OUTCOME QUESTIONNAIRE AND YOUTH OUTCOME QUESTIONNAIRE

The so-called age of accountability has been thrust upon psychotherapi sts by rising healthcare costs and the consequent growth of managed ca re. Accordingly, tracking psychotherapy outcomes is becoming a require ment for most practitioners. We suggest there is reason for optimism i n accepting and employing treatment outcome measurement as an integral part of clinical practice. This article describes the construction an d psychometric characteristics of two measures of treatment outcome. I t then illustrates the potential applications of outcome assessment fr om two perspectives, managed care administrators and clinicians.