Applying the ‘East Kent Outcomes System’ (EKOS) in music therapy

Abstract

This paper examines the current expectations for measuring clinical outcomes within the healthcare system in the UK, and introduces an application of the East Kent Outcomes System (EKOS) (Johnson & Elias 2010) as a means of measuring the clinical effectiveness of music therapy. The aim of the article is to describe how the system was implemented within Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and to demonstrate its use within music therapy practice. The application of EKOS is illustrated through a case study with a client in the Intellectual Disability Service. Examples are given of how the data gathered can be used for reporting the effectiveness of music therapy, along with implications for the future use of the EKOS within the music therapy profession.

Keywords

• music therapy
• outcomes
• evaluation
• clinical effectiveness
• assessment and treatment
• ekos