The AACNF Outcome Studies Grant Program will award grants for studies evaluating outcomes of clinical neuropsychological services. Grant applications are specifically invited for studies assessing the utility and cost effectiveness of neuropsychological evaluations. Initial target areas include attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, dementia, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and epilepsy. The AACNF considers the study of outcomes imperative in maintaining and improving access to neuropsychological services for individuals with neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. In an era marked by escalating scrutiny in determinations regarding the necessity for healthcare services, priority is being given to evidence-based practices. The AACNF seeks to increase the availability of empirical data addressing the value of neuropsychological services.
The AACNF considers the study of outcomes imperative in maintaining and improving access to neuropsychological services for individuals with neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions. Determinations for necessity of healthcare services are increasing being driven by questions of value; that is, to what extent does a service improve the quality of care in the most cost-effective way? Most of the research published in our journals describes phenotypes of neurobehavioral disorders or reports on the diagnostic accuracy of various tools. We are not looking for such studies. Rather, we will prioritize those projects that examine what happens as a result of including neuropsychological assessment in the services provided to patients. Is there an impact on costs? Is there a quantifiable impact on treatment plan? Is there an impact on patient satisfaction? Does provider confidence increase in a diagnosis when neuropsychological assessment is provided, and does this increased confidence have practical, quantifiable implications? Are subgroups of patients identified that are at an increased or decreased risk of consuming healthcare resources? Is a particular assessment approach more cost efficient in given situations than another, more-commonly employed approach, and can the hypothesized cost savings be demonstrated? These are only examples – potential grant topics are limited only by the creativity and resources of the applicants, but in each case must focus on a concrete impact of having provided neuropsychological services. In an era marked by escalating scrutiny in determinations regarding the necessity for healthcare services, priority is being given to evidence-based practices. The AACNF seeks to increase the availability of empirical data addressing the value of neuropsychological services.
The Outcome Studies Grant Program is sponsored by the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology Foundation, a nonprofit, charitable organization 501(c)(3) established in 2008 by the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology. The mission of the Foundation is to support research to evaluate and document outcomes of neuropsychological services, and to increase access to neuropsychological services among the public by increasing awareness of those services and their outcomes. Grant recipients will be encouraged to submit research reports for publication in The Clinical Neuropsychologist. They will also be asked to present their results at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology.