| Course | IBC 793 Applied Project |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 9 |
| Paper type | Outcomes paper |
| Length | About 397 words, 4 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Arizona State University |
| Program | Doctor of Behavioral Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for IBC 793 Module 9
How We Will Know: Outcomes for the Closing the Loop Project
Student Name
Doctor of Behavioral Health, Arizona State University
IBC 793: Applied Project
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
How We Will Know: Outcomes for the Closing the Loop Project
The Outcome in the PICOT Question
The O in the PICOT question is the share of positive screens that lead to recorded follow-up inside 30 days. This paper defines that outcome precisely and adds the measures needed to interpret it.
Types of Measures
Quality improvement projects track outcome measures, which show whether the aim is achieved; process measures, which show whether the changes are happening; and balancing measures, which check for unintended effects elsewhere in the system (Langley et al., 2009). Implementation research adds measures such as adoption, fidelity and reach, which explain why an intervention succeeds or fails (Proctor et al., 2011).
Defined Measures
| Measure | Type | Definition | Source | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day follow-up | Primary outcome | Positive screens followed by a behavioral health visit or documented care plan within 30 days, divided by all positive screens | Registry | 75% by month 6 |
| PHQ-9 response | Secondary outcome | Adolescents in care whose PHQ-9 falls by 50% or more within 8 to 12 weeks | Registry | 40% |
| Warm handoffs | Process | Positive screens with a same-day consultant contact | Record | 60% |
| Outreach timeliness | Process | Families without follow-up called within seven days | Coordinator log | 90% |
| Reach by language | Implementation | 30-day follow-up rate for Spanish- and English-preferring families | Registry | Gap of 10 points or less |
| Consultant wait time | Balancing | Minutes adolescents wait for a handoff | Time stamps | Under 20 minutes |
| Missed general appointments | Balancing | Behavioral health no-show rate for other patients | Scheduling report | No increase |
Why These Outcomes
The primary outcome measures the specific gap identified in the root cause analysis, and it can change within six months. The secondary outcome connects the project to clinical benefit; trial evidence shows that adolescents engaged in collaborative care are more likely to improve (Richardson et al., 2014). Reporting reach by language responds to evidence that engagement strategies can work differently across groups (Horevitz et al., 2015). Balancing measures protect the consultant's other patients from being crowded out.
Stakeholder Input
In this module's stakeholder interview, the clinic's behavioral health lead asked that the project also report wait times, which became a balancing measure. Including stakeholders' concerns in the measures makes it likelier that leaders act on the findings.
Conclusion
The outcome set measures the project's aim directly, tracks whether changes are made and checks for unintended effects, giving the team and clinic leaders the information they need to judge success.
References
Horevitz, E., Organista, K. C., & Areán, P. A. (2015). Depression treatment uptake in integrated primary care: How a "warm handoff" and other factors affect decision making by Latinos. Psychiatric Services, 66(8), 824-830. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201400085
Langley, G. J., Moen, R. D., Nolan, K. M., Nolan, T. W., Norman, C. L., & Provost, L. P. (2009). The improvement guide: A practical approach to enhancing organizational performance (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Proctor, E., Silmere, H., Raghavan, R., Hovmand, P., Aarons, G., Bunger, A., Griffey, R., & Hensley, M. (2011). Outcomes for implementation research: Conceptual distinctions, measurement challenges, and research agenda. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 38(2), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-010-0319-7
Richardson, L. P., Ludman, E., McCauley, E., Lindenbaum, J., Larison, C., Zhou, C., Clarke, G., Brent, D., & Katon, W. (2014). Collaborative care for adolescents with depression in primary care: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 312(8), 809-816. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.9259
Reading the IBC 793 Module 9 assignment instructions
In Module 9 you write the 10-point Identified Outcomes Paper and also interview a key stakeholder. Expand the O in your PICOT question by defining exactly what the project will measure. For each measure, give an operational definition, including what counts in the numerator and denominator, the data source, how often it will be reported and a target. Consider outcome, process and balancing measures, and implementation measures such as fidelity and reach. Explain why each measure matters for your aim, and use what you learn in the stakeholder interview to refine the set. Bring a draft list of measures to your stakeholder interview so that you can ask what would make the results useful to them.
How the IBC 793 Module 9 example is put together
The sample restates the PICOT outcome, then explains the types of measures used in quality improvement and implementation work. A table defines seven measures with type, definition, source and target, and the primary outcome includes an explicit numerator and denominator. A rationale section ties the measures to the root cause analysis, trial evidence and the need to check reach by language. A short section shows how the stakeholder interview added a balancing measure. Margin notes explain the value of precise definitions. The stakeholder section shows how measures can be shaped by the people who will use the results. Each row includes a target so progress can be judged month by month, and the primary outcome's definition matches the PICOT question word for word.
IBC 793 Module 9 rubric: what earns full marks
Faculty scoring the outcomes paper look for measures that align with the PICOT question, precise operational definitions, realistic data sources and targets and outcome, process and balancing measures that work together. Papers lose points when outcomes are vague, when they cannot be measured with available data, when targets are missing or unrealistic or when unintended effects are ignored. Linking measures to the project's root causes and to stakeholder priorities shows the thinking the course expects in a sustainable proposal. Targets anchored to a baseline and a realistic time frame are more persuasive than round numbers chosen without explanation. Including a balancing measure shows awareness of unintended effects.
IBC 793 Module 9 help from the desk
Start with the exact outcome in your PICOT question. Write its numerator and denominator. Add one or two process measures that show your changes are happening. Add a balancing measure for possible side effects. Name the data source and how often you will report each measure. Set targets that are ambitious but realistic. Ask your stakeholder what they would want to know. If the list gets long, the desk can help you choose the essentials. Keep the primary outcome front and center. Limit yourself to one primary outcome so the project's success is easy to judge. Add other measures only if they help interpret it.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More IBC 793 and Doctor of Behavioral Health sample papers
- IBC 793 Module 2: SBAR Assignment: Closing the Loop on Positive Adolescent Depression Screens
- IBC 793 Module 3: PICOT Assignment: Building the Applied Project's Clinical Question
- IBC 793 Module 4: PICOT Population Paper: Adolescents With Positive Depression Screens in a Pediatric Clinic
- IBC 793 Module 5: Table Technique: An Evidence Table for the Project's Intervention
- IBC 793 Module 6: Intervention Steps and Timeline: Planning Six Months of Implementation
- IBC 793 Module 7: Evidenced Based Intervention Paper: Warm Handoffs With Registry-Based Follow-Up
- IBC 793 Module 8: PICOT Current Status and Root Cause Analysis Paper: Why Follow-Up Fails
- IBC 793 Module 10: Measurement Tool Paper: The PHQ-9 for Adolescents and the Project Registry
- IBC 793 Module 11: Proposed Budget: The Costs of Closing the Loop
- IBC 603 Module 5: Case Presentation Paper: Brief Interventions for Depression, Insomnia and Diabetes in Primary Care
IBC 793 Module 9 questions, answered
Where can I find a free IBC 793 Module 9 sample paper?
The complete measurement set, with definitions and targets, is on this page.
What does the IBC 793 outcomes paper define?
The measures the project will use, building on the O in the PICOT question.
What is a balancing measure?
A watch-for-side-effects measure, such as longer waits for other patients.
What is the difference between process and outcome measures?
Process measures show whether changes happen; outcome measures show whether the aim is reached.
What else is due in IBC 793 Module 9?
An interview with a key stakeholder.