Update on measurement of relevant outcomes in rheumatology.
It is now recognized that disease has a multidimensional impact on patients' lives. This impact can be perceived as a spectrum encompassing on one end "hard" disease outcomes such as organ failure and mortality, and on the other end "soft" outcomes such as quality of life or patient satisfaction. This spectrum may be viewed as a framework in measuring both disease impact and response to treatment. In this paper, we review improvements in the methodology of measurement of relevant outcomes and highlight new findings and emerging trends in rheumatology.
Pioro
M H
MH
University Hospitals of Cleveland, Division of Rheumatic Diseases, OH 44106, USA.
Kwoh
C K
CK
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010358:Patient Participation; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D012931:Social Environment; D014937:Work