AN INSTRUMENT FOR MEASUREMENT OF OUTCOMES OF CARE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA -ISSUES IN DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

To advance effectiveness research in mental health, we need common, st andardized validated instruments that con be used easily in routine pr actice settings. The Schizophrenia Outcomes Module is a relatively bri ef, comprehensive instrument for monitoring and assessing the outcomes of treatment for schizophrenia in clinical care settings. The module was developed with the guidance of a multiinstitutional multidisciplin ary expert panel; the clinical and theoretical considerations that fra med the expert panel's deliberations and determined the module's conte nt and characteristics are described. Initial field testing of the ins trument involved longitudinal observation of 100 individuals with schi zophrenia over a 6-month period. To our knowledge, it is the only brie f and easily administered instrument that encompasses the four major o utcome domains defined by the National Institute of Mental Health's Pl an for Research on the Severely Mentally Ill. As such, it is a promisi ng tool for effectiveness research in schizophrenia.