Outcomes research and facial plastic surgery. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Outcomes research examines the delivery of medical care from the patient's perspective, using unique instruments and methodologies. Outcome studies can measure the effectiveness of treatments or interventions in individual patients or in large populations, using prospective observational research designs. The steps in performing outcomes research are as follows: identify and define the disease or procedure of interest, create a staging system for disease severity, identify important co-morbid conditions, choose or design an outcomes instrument to measure treatment outcomes, and design a study to assess outcomes prospectively. Although there is currently a dearth of outcomes instruments available for use in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, some new instruments are being developed, and even using existing tools outcomes research should prove to be a valuable research tool for facial plastic surgeons to demonstrate improved quality of life and functional status in their patients.

publication date

  • May 1, 2002

Research

keywords

  • Face
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0036071995

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1055/s-2002-32196

PubMed ID

  • 12063653

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 18

issue

  • 2