A proposed strategy for identifying the most critical and relevant client outcome measures to select for research studies or program monitoring is articulated and discussed. The strategy assists with identifying the domains to measure for a particular study or program setting and applies mathematical rigor to the selection of key dimensions within domains. Outcome measures can then be compared to the key dimensions to determine whether any of the scales in each measure relate closely to a key dimension. The key dimensions will economize on the number of concepts to assess, since they are defined to be unrelated to each other. Experience with this mathematical approach suggests that no more than three to four key dimensions are needed to cover each domain. By prioritizing the information needed, scales can be extracted from outcome measures that correspond to the high priority key dimensions, then assembled for the assessment protocol. By applying this strategy researchers and evaluators can more confidently and rapidly identify which outcome measures to tap for each study that provide comprehensive coverage of stakeholders’ values. One or more presenters will discuss the pros and cons of the proposed strategy. Interaction with the audience will be solicited to gauge the degree of interest in and support for the proposed strategy.
Learning Objectives: Participants learn about the tradeoffs associated with emphasizing certain outcome measures over others; participants and presenters share ideas for how to identify appropriate measures for assessing outcomes in a comprehensive manner.
Keywords: Adult and Child Mental Health, Assessments
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.