The Target Score is provided to assist in quality assurance initiatives to treat to a target. If the client's current score is at or below the Target Score, the client can be classified as meeting a minimum threshold for clinically meaningful improvement, based on the fact that the Severity Adjusted Effect Size => .3 and has exceeded the standard error of measurement for the questionnaires. The Target Score is only calculated for clients with intake scores in a clinical range.
Note that the Target Score represents a minimum expectation for improvement, a threshold for clinical meaningful change. Most clients will significantly exceed this threshold, with approximately 50% of clients exceeding the threshold for Significant Improvement (Severity Adjusted Effect Size =>.8).
The Target Score is calculated based on intake score and diagnosis, and so will vary by case. For cases with intake scores near the clinical cutoff score the Target Score way be slight higher than the intake score. This is a function of the case mix adjustment methodology, which recognizes that clients with lower scores average less improvement.
