This proposal requests funds to convene a national research development conference on the topic of mental health outcomes measurement. The purpose of the conference is to bring together university researchers and public and private mental health representatives to discuss, develop and implement a research agenda on valid measurement and use of mental health outcomes. The conference will build on a highly successful 1999 conference supported by AHCPR and NIMH. It will focus on workgroup discussions to develop collaborative research activities in three areas: what needs to happen before outcomes analysis (e.g., sampling, data collection, measurement tools); methods of analysis particularly focusing on risk-adjustment; and what needs to happen after analysis to communicate results effectively. The long-term objective is to implement and evaluate in mental health organizations a valid approach to data collection, risk- adjustment analysis, and reporting, so that outcomes may be used fairly in comparative evaluation of mental health services organizations.
