ABSTRACT
Outcomes research examines the delivery of medical care from the patient's perspective,
using unique instruments and methodologies. Outcome studies can measure the effectiveness
of treatments or interventions in individual patients or in large populations, using
prospective observational research designs. The steps in performing outcomes research
are as follows: identify and define the disease or procedure of interest, create a
staging system for disease severity, identify important co-morbid conditions, choose
or design an outcomes instrument to measure treatment outcomes, and design a study
to assess outcomes prospectively. Although there is currently a dearth of outcomes
instruments available for use in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, some new
instruments are being developed, and even using existing tools outcomes research should
prove to be a valuable research tool for facial plastic surgeons to demonstrate improved
quality of life and functional status in their patients.
KEYWORDS
Outcomes research - facial plastic surgery