Using brief clinician and parent measures to track outcomes in outpatient child psychiatry: longer term follow-up and comparative effectiveness.

Background:   This study explored the feasibility and validity of using brief clinician- and parent-rated measures routinely over 6 months in outpatient child psychiatry.

Method:   All patients under 18 years of age seen for intake in the Child Psychiatry Clinic from 1 August 2007 through 31 July 2010 were eligible for inclusion in the study. Data were collected at intake for 1033 patients and at 3- and 6-month follow-up.

Assessing outcomes in child psychiatry.

Objective: To report on the first year of a program using standardized rating scales within a large, multisite mental health system of care for children and to assess the validity, reliability, and feasibility of these scales.

Study Design: Naturalistic follow-up of clinicians' ratings.

Methods: Clinicians filled out the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale for Children (BPRS-C) and the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) at intake and discharge/90-day follow-up for all new patients.