Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS): International Center for Clinical Excellence

The Partners for Change Outcome Management System (PCOMS) is a client feedback program for improving the treatment outcomes of adults and children participating in a behavioral health care intervention. PCOMS, which is integrated into each treatment session, consists of two brief scales that measure robust predictors of therapeutic success: 1)The Outcome Rating Scale (ORS), which assesses the client’s therapeutic progress (through ratings of psychological functioning and distress) and the client’s perceived benefit of treatment and 2)The Session Rating Scale (SRS), which assesses the client’s perception of the client-therapist alliance (i.e., the quality of the relational bond with the therapist and whether the therapist shares his or her therapeutic objective). The therapist administers the ORS at the beginning of the treatment session, and the SRS is administered toward the end of the session. Client ratings for both measures are discussed on a session-by-session basis to maintain the client’s engagement in treatment, optimize the client-therapist alliance, and provide a means for transitioning into the treatment session by focusing on client-identified concerns. If client ratings are very low, the therapist may choose to modify the type and amount of treatment. The program can be implemented by behavioral health care therapists as part of any behavioral health care intervention.