title: [Routine outcome monitoring and benchmarking: how can treatment results be     compared in a responsible manner?].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The structural measurement of the results of treatment under the Dutch mental health services and a comparison of these results between mental health centres help to provide insight into the effectiveness of treatment in general practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To provide an overview of the issues that require attention when the results of mental health centres are being compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  Documentation, policy information and practical experience with routine outcome monitoring were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We describe the problems that can arise when results obtained by mental health centres are compared and we suggest some solutions for these problems. Important factors that have emerged from our study are as follows: working with routine outcome monitoring is a process of natural growth and involves experiences with several solutions and the making of definitive choices on the basis of experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is instructive to compare mental health centres with each other and with regards to so-called 'best practices' (benchmarking). However, mental health centres draw on a differing wide mix of patients and use different measurement procedures and instruments. In this article we express the view that in the near future it should be possible to draw meaningful comparisons.
authors.affiliation: Universitair Hoofddocent, Leiden Institute for the Advancement and Integration of Routine Outvaome Monitoring, LUMC, Leiden. m.j.noom@lumc.nl
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Noom
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tiemens
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kamsteeg
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Markus
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pot
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Schippers
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Swildens
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sytema
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Theunissen
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van der Vlist
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vuyk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zondervan
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking; D006801:Humans; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D009426:Netherlands; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care