Development of a multidisciplinary research clinic for patients with work-related upper extremity disorders

The health care reform debate has focused attention on the need for outcomes research performed in ambulatory care settings. In this article, the authors describe the development of a research clinic focusing on symptomatic, functional, and vocational outcomes of patients with work-related upper extremity disorders. The authors describe the programmatic and research challenges associated with performing such research and emphasize the need for balancing the research and clinical agendas. Research efforts in this setting require careful consideration of the patient selection process and allocation of sufficient time for the clinical staff to collect and record essential research data.