title: Health services research and the endocrinologist.
abstract: This article highlights the importance of health services research to endocrinologists. The content and goals of health services research are defined, and, with examples related to endocrinology, the field's focus and key themes are described and its methods and sources of data delineated. Considerations that informed readers should keep in mind when reading this literature are illustrated, with a recent example that has important implications for the role of endocrinologists in the management of diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Aron
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Landefeld
mesh_terms: D004700:Endocrine System Diseases; D004704:Endocrinology; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D014481:United States