Efficacy, effectiveness, and expected treatment response in psychotherapy

Abstract

This article provides a summary of "The Evaluation of Psychotherapy: Efficacy, Effectiveness, and Patient Progress" (Howard, Moras, Brill, Martinovich, & Lutz, 1996) and an introduction to the "patient profiling" method. First, the difference between the two main approaches to treatment research in psychotherapy, efficacy research and effectiveness research, are discussed. Next, the idea is introduced that both types of treatment-focused research strategies need to be supplemented by a patient-focused research strategy. The concept of patient profiling is presented as an application of such a patient-focused research strategy. The usefulness of patient profiling for monitoring and evaluating individual patients' progress in ongoing psychotherapy as well as for clinical decision making is described. An expression of the personal and professional impact of Ken Howard on the author is provided.