Outcome measurements in orthopedic.
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 21124680.
- Also identified by DOI 10.4103/0019-5413.30523 and PMC identifier 2981892.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The choice of outcome measure in orthopedic clinical research studies is paramount. The primary outcome measure for a study has several implications for the design and conduct of the study. These include: 1) sample size determination, 2) internal validity, 3) compliance and 4) cost. A thorough knowledge of outcome measures in orthopedic research is paramount to the conduct of a quality study. The decision to choose a continuous versus dichotomous outcome has important implications for sample size. However, regardless of the type of outcome, investigators should always use the most 'patient-important' outcome and limit bias in its determination.