Population-based Research Data as a Means To Address Health Outcomes

Abstract

Health care restructuring efforts have been influenced by changes in public policy, payment mechanisms, and societal values. In today's environment, leading issues focus on quality and cost-effective care. Health care systems are moving from a concentration on structures and processes of care to an expanded view that encompasses the exploration, documentation, and improvement of patient outcomes. This article presents an overview of the domains of health outcomes, widely used surveys in the measurement of outcomes, methodological issues related to interpreting outcome measures, and trends for clinical practice and future research.

Updated U.S. population standard for the Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12)

“…The interpretation of scores computed from responses to these HRQoL survey instruments has been enhanced with the use of standard-based (sometimes called norm-based) scoring [6]. Standard-based scoring makes it possible to interpret scores by comparing them to those of a reference population [7,8]. Scores, therefore, are interpreted as departures from the standard.…”

Health‐Related Quality of Life in Children With Autoimmune Liver Disease

“…Health‐related quality of life (HRQOL), a rapidly evolving concept, is paramount in understanding the plenary burden of any chronic medical condition and identifying health inequalities. It can help identify and prioritize health issues, facilitate communication, and help monitor responses to treatment and interventions (6–14). Chronic liver disease has been shown to be associated with reduced HRQOL in both adults and children, even in early stages of liver disease (15–35).…”