Reviewing and selecting outcome measures for use in routine practice

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Clinical Practice Guidelines
• Outcome Measurement

Background:

• Evidence-based practice requires reliable outcome measures for evaluating interventions.
• Clinicians, managers, and purchasers need guidance on selecting appropriate outcome measures for routine care.
• Distinguishing between health status and outcome measures is crucial for effective assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and present an evaluative checklist for reviewing outcome measures in routine clinical care settings.
• To provide guidance for selecting appropriate outcome measures in healthcare.
• To support clinicians in critically appraising research and choosing suitable outcome measures.

Main Methods:

• A reclarification of health status versus outcome measures.
• Development of an evaluative checklist with criteria including user-centeredness, psychometric properties, feasibility, and utility.
• Application of the checklist to outcome measurement in diabetes and stroke care.
• Proposal of a modified checklist for busy clinicians reviewing research.

Main Results:

• The paper presents a structured checklist to evaluate outcome measures for routine clinical settings.
• The checklist's utility is demonstrated with examples from diabetes and stroke care.
• A modified version is proposed to assist clinicians in research appraisal and measure selection.

Conclusions:

• The developed checklist enhances the selection of appropriate outcome measures for evidence-based practice.
• It supports clinicians in making informed decisions regarding intervention effectiveness and routine care measurement.
• The tool is applicable to various clinical areas, including chronic disease management.