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Impact of Evidence‐Based Standardized Assessment on the Disability Clinical Interview for Diagnosis of Service‐Connected PTSD: A Cluster‐Randomized Trial
Author(s) -
Speroff Theodore,
Sinnott Patricia L.,
Marx Brian,
Owen Richard R.,
Jackson James C.,
Greevy Robert,
Sayer Nina,
Murdoch Maureen,
Shane Andrea C.,
Smith Jeffrey,
Alvarez JoAnn,
Nwosu Samuel K.,
Keane Terence,
Weathers Frank,
Schnurr Paula P.,
Friedman Matthew J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.21759
Subject(s) - veterans affairs , randomized controlled trial , psychology , clinical psychology , rating scale , global assessment of functioning , psychiatry , medicine , physical therapy , developmental psychology , cognition , surgery
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the fastest growing compensated medical conditions. The present study compared usual disability examiner practices for PTSD with a standardized assessment that incorporates evidence‐based assessments. The design was a multicenter, cluster randomized, parallel‐group study involving 33 clinical examiners and 384 veterans at 6 Veterans Affairs medical centers. The standardized group incorporated the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule‐II into their assessment interview. The main outcome measures were completeness and accuracy of PTSD diagnosis and completeness of functional assessment. The s tandardized assessments were 85% complete for diagnosis compared to 30% for nonstandardized assessments ( p < .001), and, for functional impairment, 76% versus 3% ( p < .001). The findings demonstrate that the quality of PTSD disability examination would be improved by using evidence‐based assessment.