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A framework for selecting outcome measures for ambulatory care research
1Center for Applied Research and Analysis, Stratis Health/Health Outcomes Institute, Bloomington, MN, USA.
The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management
|September 4, 1997
Summary
Choosing the right health outcome measures is crucial for research. A framework considering sensibility, reliability, validity, responsiveness, and burden helps researchers select appropriate and defensible measures.
Area of Science:
- Health outcomes research
- Measurement in health sciences
Background:
- Selecting appropriate outcome measures is critical for various research applications, including population health description, health status prediction, and health outcome evaluation.
- The chosen outcome measure must be conceptually sound and make practical sense within the research context.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss a general framework for selecting health outcome measures.
- To highlight five critical characteristics for evaluating outcome measures: sensibility, reliability, validity, responsiveness, and burden.
Main Methods:
- A conceptual framework is presented for outcome measure selection.
- The framework emphasizes a commonsense approach, weighing the importance of five key characteristics against the specific research application.
Main Results:
- The framework provides guidance on selecting outcome measures based on their conceptual defensibility.
- Five critical characteristics (sensibility, reliability, validity, responsiveness, burden) are identified as essential for evaluating outcome measures.
Conclusions:
- A systematic approach considering the research application and critical measure characteristics is essential for effective outcome measurement.
- Researchers should carefully weigh the relative importance of sensibility, reliability, validity, responsiveness, and burden when selecting outcome measures.