The imperative of outcome assessment in psychiatry.

This report describes the current conceptualization of outcome assessment in psychiatry and focuses on how assessment instruments can be built into psychiatric facility-based practice. First, the domains of clinical assessment are outlined, with an emphasis on three elements: level of psychiatric symptoms, clinical functioning, and patient satisfaction. Examples of outcome instruments then are provided as well as the elements of their successful implementation. Finally, the value of linking outcome assessment to data on patient characteristics and service utilization are discussed in order to gain insight into the relationship between treatment and outcome. The clinical, fiscal, and regulatory imperatives emerging for outcome assessment call for its demystification and widespread application.