Developing Tools for Measuring Mental Health Outcomes

"Measures of health care quality are used to understand the impact of interventions when implemented in real-world health care systems and settings. These measures are used to assess the effectiveness of treatments and to understand access to care, care delivery processes, patient perceptions of care, and other factors that can impact patient outcomes and their satisfaction with treatment."

"The three main types of measures used for assessing the quality of health care are: Structural quality measures: These measures assess whether the provider or organization has the infrastructure and capacity needed to deliver care to patients. Process quality measures: These measures assess whether patients receive the care that they should. Outcome quality measures: These measuresassess whether the care patients receive improves their health and functioning."

"To help fill this gap, the National Institutes of Health has funded six projects to develop, test, and validate outcome-focused quality measures for mental health. As part of these projects, researchers are required to engage with and submit their measures to regulatory or governing bodies such as the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services or the Battelle Partnership for Quality Measurement. Endorsement by these regulatory bodies helps facilitate a m"

Health care quality measures evaluate intervention impact in real-world systems by assessing treatment effectiveness, access to care, delivery processes, and patient perceptions that influence outcomes and satisfaction. Structural measures evaluate whether providers or organizations possess necessary infrastructure and capacity to deliver care. Process measures evaluate whether patients receive recommended care. Outcome measures evaluate whether care improves patient health and functioning. Outcome-focused measures are common for physical conditions such as diabetes but remain scarce for mental illnesses. The National Institutes of Health funded six projects to develop, test, and validate outcome-focused mental health quality measures, with required engagement and submission to regulatory bodies for endorsement.

Read at National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)