These are a subset of Clinical Outcome Assessments (COAs) and were essentially the only change/outcome measures until the mid 20th Century. They are what they say: ratings of state based on clinicians’ assessments.
Details #
Some argue that these assessments only use observed information rather than client report as well though I would argue that solicited client views and problem reports are always part of a clinician’s observational assessment in our fields. They are observed and our assessment of what someone says is not simply what they said but how we see it in the light of everything else we see and perhaps that we know about the client as we hear their view. So someone making light of their problems in the content of what they say may in our eyes and ears be given a more substantial problem rating in the light of the facial expressions and body language as the person says “Well it’s nothing much really” and may also be weighted by knowing that the client has a long history of stoicism and minimisation of issues.
Whatever the position on that issue, the term is probably most used in the physical health realm and clinicians’ assessments have gone out of fashion, at least in the research and managerial realms being largely replaced by clients’ ratings based almost always on multi-item, nomothetic questionnaire measures. There are great strengths in that shift (I would say that wouldn’t I, having co-developed the CORE measures!) However, I do believe that clinician’s assessments still have information to add, particularly as they shade from simple ratings towards formulations of the clients’ problems.
Try also #
- Clinical Outcome Assessments (COAs)
- Interview measures
- Observer-reported outcome (ObsRO) measures (ObsROMs, OROMs)
- Patient/client-reported outcome (PRO) measures (PROMs)
- Performance outcome (PerfO) measures (PerfOMs, POMS)
- Self-report measures
Chapters #
Not explicitly covered in the OMbook.
Online resources #
None forseeable.
Dates #
First created 1.i.25, text and links last updated 5.i.25.
