Outcome assessment after spinal fusion: why and how?
Outcomes of medical interventions today must reflect a more complete array of measurements, including health status, patient satisfaction, medical costs, and quality of life. This article discusses the rationale and methodology involved with measurement of health status, particularly as it applies to spinal disorders and spinal fusion. Generic and disease-specific instruments are reviewed, and their limitations are also discussed.
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA, USA.
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D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000601:surgery; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome