title: Measurement strategies designed and tested in the Veterans Health Study.
abstract: The goal of collecting a large number of health status variables from a population of elderly respondents with high comorbidity offers several challenges and opportunities that are described in this article. The data collection strategies used in the Veterans Health Study (VHS) are discussed, and we detail the development and item content of the questionnaires used. The VHS included various modes of administration, in-person interviews, interviewer and self-administered questionnaires, proxy interviews, and administrative databases to ensure a more complete assessment of health status. Included is a discussion of staffing and the training methods developed. The article concludes with lessons learned that may be of interest to other researchers conducting similar health outcomes studies.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, and Economic Research (CHQOER), Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Mass 01730, USA. kskinner@bu.edu
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Avron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spiro
authors.forename: Lewis E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Kazis
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods*; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans