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NJPA Pilot Outcomes Management Project (OMP)
Participating Psychologist FAQ
Who can use the system?
Any member of the New Jersey Psychological Association who provides psychological services can participate in the pilot. The outcomes measures currently available are suitable for children or adults being seen in psychotherapy for a wide range of concerns. The OMP being evaluated can be used by participants in solo or group practice.
How does it work?
Psychologists set the patient up and select the instrument or instruments they want their client to take. Clients can take assessments on line (via the client portal), on the browser, or on paper (requires manual data entry). Real time reports provide psychologists with clinical information. Clients can access the web site from anywhere so it is perfectly conceivable, and in some instances preferable, for psychologists to give the URL to clients and ask them to complete measures 24 hours before the next session (thereby allowing the psychologist time to review the responses).
How long does it take to complete measures?
Typically, outcomes measures can be completed in five minutes. For this project, we estimate that participants will spend no more than five to ten minutes completing an outcomes assessment. Clients who are extra careful in their participation may spend more time, estimating between 15 to 20 minutes. Our goal is not to burden your practice and so we have designed the system to take as little time as possible.
Are clients required to participate in their clinician’s presence?
No. Clients may access the database wherever an internet connection is available. They are not required to participate in the outcomes project in the presence of their clinician.
What kind of technology set-up is needed?
Clients will be able to take the assessments online from home, the office-anywhere they have access to a browser. Also, participants can set up their offices with low cost computers (older machines that would otherwise be considered outdated work fine) or personal digital assistants (PDAs) for clients to use. Alternatively, clients can fill out the assessments on a paper form that can be manually data entered, with data entry taking less than five minutes of time. Once the responses are entered, the participant will receive “real time” feedback on the client for use in the session.
What kind of outcomes’ information will I be able to access and receive?
Participants will be able to access information about their individual clients’ scores and how those scores track over the course of treatment. Participants will also be able to generate aggregate information about their clinical practice, in terms of overall severity of presenting concerns, average changes over the course of treatment and other types of quality improvement information. Finally, “benchmarking,” or the capacity to compare individual practice information against aggregate information of all eligible participating participants, will also be available.
Is this system secure?
The OMP is fully HIPAA compliant and adheres to industry best practices. The technological set-up includes SSL 128 bit encryption, servers maintained in a locked and fireproofed setting, on-site and off-site data back up, and servers located behind firewalls. Passwords are required to access information and individual patient information is available only to the participant. Multiple levels of permission to access the OMP are available such that clerical staff can enter data but not access client results, etc. The OMP is designed so that no individually identifying patient information is contained within the system, rather the linking of individual patient information with system identification numbers will be kept in the participant’s own files.
What outcomes measure(s) should I use?
The psychologist will need to identify measures that are appropriate both to the specific setting and to the individual client. To review the instruments and their respective psychometric properties, consult the User Guide which is under Tools on the Home page. Most of the available measures are face valid, and one can simply read the questionnaire to see if the items correspond to his or her practice patterns at a general level and to the treatment goals at the individual level. Measures vary and range from specific sets of symptoms to general distress to quality of life to particular behavioral changes and life goals.
For the purposes of the pilot, it is recommended that all participating clients complete measures on three separate occasions over the course of the pilot length. For new clients, an ideal schedule would be at intake, 6 weeks and 12 weeks. If it is known that a client will have a treatment shorter than 12 weeks, the therapist should pick the mid point and ask the client to complete measures then and at termination. It is certainly possible to complete measures more often, if desired. For existing clients, pace completion of questionnaires over a 3-month period to allow time to capture any client changes on the measures.
Additionally, participants are asked to submit a rating of the client’s functioning (Clinician Distress/Impairment Rating) each time the client completes measures. The rating is a very simple scale merely designed to roughly gauge the clinical impression. The psychologist is asked to rate the client’s level of distress, due to psychological issues or what brought them into treatment, and the level of impairment they are currently experiencing due to the issues.
The American Psychological Association will be conducting an assessment of the Outcomes Management Project. Please see link on the home page under “local news”.