title: Outcomes research in childhood autoimmune diseases.
abstract: This article provides an introduction to key aspects of outcomes research in pediatric rheumatology, focusing on arthritis. Patient-centered outcomes research addresses questions of interest to multiple stakeholders in order to guide the best health care decisions suited to a particular patient's circumstances and preferences. Discussion includes the importance of maintaining high-quality longitudinal patient registries and use of valid clinical and patient-reported outcome measures. Rapid, reliable translation of research on best practices into clinical care, as facilitated by quality improvement learning networks, leads to timely and meaningful improvement in patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA; Division of Rheumatology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4010, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. Electronic address: esi.morgan_dewitt@cchmc.org.
authors.forename: Esi Morgan
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: DeWitt
mesh_terms: D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000628:therapy*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D063868:Patient Outcome Assessment; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D012042:Registries; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Health services research; Outcomes research; Patient outcome assessment; Pediatrics; Quality improvement; Registries; Rheumatology