Effects and experiences of idiographic patient-reported outcome measures for feedback in psychotherapy: A systematic review and secondary analysis of the empirical literature

Stig Magne Solstad, Mick Cooper, Rolf Sundet, Christian Moltu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

© 2023 Psychotherapy Research. The attached document (embargoed until 22/11/2024) is an author produced version of a paper published in Psychotherapy Research uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it. 

Objective: There is a growing interest in idiographic patient-reported outcome measures (I-PROMs) for routine outcome monitoring (ROM) and clinical feedback (CF) in psychotherapy, but to our knowledge, no systematic reviews of the empirical literature. Method: We conducted a systematic literature search for empirical papers investigating effects and experiences of I-PROMs for ROM/CF and found a total of 13 papers. There was only one experimental controlled effectiveness study. Results: We formulated a narrative summary of the data set as a whole. We conducted a secondary analysis of nine papers containing qualitative data on stakeholder experiences with I-PROMs and found three superordinate themes and eight subthemes, summarized as "I-PROMs can facilitate self-reflection for patients, assist in identifying and tracking therapeutic topics, and make patients more committed to therapy by giving them a greater sense of responsibility and empowerment. Formulating goals and problems can be difficult, and lack of progress can be demotivating. Time in therapy is precious and must be spent wisely. Effective use of I-PROMs is facilitated by flexibility and therapists' use of clinical skills." Conclusion: We discuss the limitations of the study and provide recommendations for future research and clinical practice.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-14
Number of pages14
JournalPsychotherapy Research
Early online date22 Nov 2023
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 22 Nov 2023

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