International Conference on Outcomes Measurement

University Of Illinois At Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): [unreadable] [unreadable] The International Conference on Outcomes Measurement will share and build on the base of knowledge and expertise in IRT/Rasch that has been developed around the world. This conference will review the science behind the measurement of important constructs in substance use and behavioral health research. It will also explore opportunities to improve the field with the new tools available in psychometrics. The conference theme will be, "Modern Measurement in Substance Use and Behavioral Health." Substance abuse treatment involves multiple domains in which many activities are difficult to observe directly, e.g., substance use, crime, and service utilization from many systems. Moreover, many measures are clearly sample-dependent - requiring the use of modern IRT/Rasch methods to evaluate their use across populations, condition/level of care, and time. Recently, NIH's road map initiative in general and specifically NIDA's Blue Ribbon panel on health services research have called for improving the quality of measurement in our field. Clearly, the field needs such a conference. Prior to the conference, introductory and advanced training workshops will be offered. Papers will be presented that highlight the critical issues in modern measurement with a focus on substance use and behavioral health applications. Measurement technology will be presented that significantly reduces respondent burden while increasing measurement precision. Advantages of IRT/Rasch measurement such as reducing burden, increasing privacy, improving fairness, and monitoring healthcare status across the continuum of care will be presented. Papers will highlight ongoing methodological applications of measurement in areas focusing on substance use and behavioral health. This includes the use of computerized adaptive testing to improve the assessment and care of persons who suffer from substance use disorders, depression, trauma, ADHD, and so on. Finally, leaders in the area of health care policy will explore how these advances in measurement may change behavioral health care delivery, research, and policy. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]