THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM FOR WHICH A CLINICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIS) WAS DEVELOPED WAS TO IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TREATMENT. THE CIS WAS CENTRAL TO THE PURPOSE BECAUSE IT PROVIDED MUCH OF THE EVALUATIVE INFORMATION AS WELL AS PROVIDING THE PRIMARY MEANS OF INFORMATION TRANSFER AND FEEDBACK. THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM WAS INTRODUCED ON A 100-BED ACTIVE TREATMENT UNIT (AVERAGE STAY OF 30 DAYS) IN A PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. THE CIS HAD TWO MAIN COMPONENTS; (1) AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PATIENT'S LEVEL OF COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT; AND (2) A GOAL RECORD SYSTEM. THE ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT WAS BASED ON A PATIENT-COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRE ANSWERED AT INTAKE AND AGAIN 3 MONTHS FOLLOWING DISCHARGE. THE GOAL RECORD WAS COMPLETED BY STAFF AT VARIOUS TIMES DURING TREATMENT AND INCLUDED DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF TREATMENT GOALS, TREATMENT PLANS, AND PERIODIC ASSESSMENTS OF OUTCOME. BOTH THE ADJUSTMENT QUESTIONNAIRE AND GOAL RECORD SYSTEM WERE COMPUTERIZED TO FACILITATE FEEDBACK, RAPID RETRIEVAL, AND COMPILATION OF AGGREGATE DATA. THE DETAILS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF EACH THESE COMPONENTS OF THE SYSTEM ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH A DISCUSSION OF THE PROCEDURE FOR INTEGRATING THESE COMPONENTS INTO THE HOSPITAL INFORMATION SYSTEM. SAMPLE FORMS USED IN EACH SYSTEM COMPONENT ARE ALSO INCLUDED. RESULTS OF AN EVALUATION OF THE CIS ARE REPORTED TO SHOW THAT THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE SYSTEM DOES GIVE A VALID MEASURE OF TREATMENT OUTCOME. AN EVALUATION OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM AS A WHOLE SHOWS THAT EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK DID IMPROVE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE TREATMENT UNIT WHICH ADOPTED IT. IT IS CONCLUDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE MECHANISMS INTRODUCED TO MAKE EVALUATION POSSIBLE HAD CONSIDERABLY MORE IMPACT ON IMPROVED TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS THAN THE EVALUATION INFORMATION PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)