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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (Propensity Score) using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
Difficulties in conducting a prospective outcome study
Jetske Ultee1, Johan W van Neck, Jean Bart Jaquet
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus MC, University Hospital Rotterdam, Postbus 1738, Room Number Ee 1591, Rotterdam 3000 DR, The Netherlands. j.ultee@erasmusmc.nl
Abstract:
The success of an outcome study depends largely on the number of recruited patients, the loss of followup, and the response rate to postal questionnaires. In this article, different strategies were proposed to increase the aforementioned items. Most presented strategies were developed because of failure of measures used earlier. In the authors' study concerning hand surgery, this resulted in missed inclusions and loss of followup. It is hoped that by reading and using the strategies discussed, future researchers will start at the end of the learning curve and will shed a bright light on the obscurity of recovery after hand injury.
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