Treatment outcome for a maltreated population: benefits, procedural decisions, and challenges.
OBJECTIVE
To review the benefits, challenges, and procedural decisions to consider when implementing and managing a treatment outcome program for a maltreated population.


METHODS
We reviewed the reasons to implement a treatment outcome program, decisions regarding procedures, and challenges likely to be encountered based on literature in the field and the authors' 6 years of experience in developing and maintaining an outcome program at a center specializing in the treatment of maltreated children.


RESULTS
The development of an outcome programs requires careful measurement selection, early and ongoing staff-involvement, support from higher management, a well-developed data base and client tracking system, a coordinator and support staff, clinical utility, planning for fiscal impact, and flexibility to contend with challenges.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on our experience, the plethora of clinically rich and administratively useful information derived from an outcome program far outweighs the challenges and costs of establishing and maintaining an outcome program.
Gothard
S
S
Trauma Counseling Program, San Diego Children's Hospital & Health Center, CA 92123-4282, USA.
Ryan
B
B
Heinrich
T
T
D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome