Outcomes Research and the Challenge of Evidence-Based Surgery

Abstract

Outcomes research is focused on measuring the results or end products of health care interventions, processes, and practices. Data derived from outcomes research informs clinical practice, quality assurance, and patient safety activities, and can be the nidus for hypothesis-driven, patient-oriented research. This article introduces a definition of outcomes research, reviews how outcomes research may guide evidence-based surgical practice and health care processes, and reviews a model for outcomes research.