Abstract
BackgroundRoutine Outcome Monitoring refers to regular measurements of clients’ progress in clinical practice, aiming to evaluate and, if necessary, adapt treatment. Clients fill out questionnaires and clinicians receive feedback about the results. Studies concerning feedback in youth mental health care are rare. The effects of feedback, the importance of specific aspects of feedback, and the mechanisms underlying the effects of feedback are unknown. In the present study, several potentially effective components of feedback from Routine Outcome Monitoring in youth mental health care in the Netherlands are investigated.Methods/DesignWe will examine three different forms of feedback through a three-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial. 432 children and adolescents (aged 4 to 17 years) and their parents, who have been referred to mental health care institution Pro Persona, will be randomly assigned to one of three feedback conditions (144 participants per condition). Randomization will be stratified by age of the child or adolescent and by department. All participants fill out questionnaires at the start of treatment, one and a half months after the start of treatment, every three months during treatment, and at the end of treatment. Participants in the second and third feedback conditions fill out an additional questionnaire. In condition 1, clinicians receive basic feedback regarding clients’ symptoms and quality of life. In condition 2, the feedback of condition 1 is extended with feedback regarding possible obstacles to a good outcome and with practical suggestions. In condition 3, the feedback of condition 2 is discussed with a colleague while following a standardized format for case consultation. The primary outcome measure is symptom severity and secondary outcome measures are quality of life, satisfaction with treatment, number of sessions, length of treatment, and rates of dropout. We will also examine the role of being not on track (not responding to treatment).DiscussionThis study contributes to the identification of effective components of feedback and a better understanding of how feedback functions in real-world clinical practice. If the different feedback components prove to be effective, this can help to support and improve the care for youth.Trial registrationDutch Trial Register NTR4234
Highlights
Routine Outcome Monitoring refers to regular measurements of clients’ progress in clinical practice, aiming to evaluate and, if necessary, adapt treatment
This study contributes to the identification of effective components of feedback and a better understanding of how feedback functions in real-world clinical practice
Intervention The trial will include three different feedback conditions: basic feedback regarding the client’s symptoms and quality of life, feedback from the first condition enhanced with information regarding possible obstacles to a good outcome that the client may be facing and with practical suggestions to improve treatment, and feedback from the second condition which the clinician will discuss with a colleague using a standardized format for case consultation
Summary
It is hypothesized that the more specific and concrete the feedback, the more and faster children’s and adolescents’ symptoms will decrease, the more children’s and adolescents’ quality of life will improve and the more children, adolescents and parents will be satisfied at the end of treatment. We expect to find a negative relationship between feedback condition and the duration of treatment. It is hypothesized that the more specific and concrete the feedback, the fewer sessions treatments will contain and the shorter treatments will be. We expect that children, adolescents and parents will drop out of treatment less often when feedback is more specific and concrete. We expect that feedback will be most effective for children and adolescents who are not progressing well in treatment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
