[Is evidence-based assessment fact or fiction? A bibliometric analysis of three German journals].
OBJECTIVE
Despite the ongoing process for the development and dissemination of empirically supported treatments, little attention has been paid to the development of evidence-based diagnostics. The article aims at evaluating diagnostic procedures and instruments in current clinical research in terms of evidence-based assessment.


METHODS
Volumes 2006 and 2007 of three German psychological journals "Psychotherapeut," "Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Medizinische Psychologie," and "Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie" were screened for empirical reports and articles dealing with diagnostic issues. 93 articles were identified and evaluated.


RESULTS
Most studies used psychometrically valid and established instruments for assessment. However, diagnostic interviews were relatively scarce, as were multimodal assessments. Measures used for outcome evaluation often lacked evidence of sensitivity to change.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinical assessment to date does not meet criteria for evidence-based diagnostics. Implications for research and guideline development are discussed.
Petermann
Franz
F
Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation der Universität Bremen. fpeterm@uni-bremen.de
Schüssler
Gerhard
G
Glaesmer
Heide
H
D015706:Bibliometrics; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care