DUKE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
DUKEHEALTH.ORG
| Research |
Outcome and Clinical Research
The patient experience is of increasing importance in medical research. Whether a patient’s blood test or x-ray is better after a treatment is not so important if the patient feels poorly due to side effects of the treatment. A blood test or a x-ray is what we call a surrogate endpoint in clinical research, meaning that it is taking the place of the real endpoint which is how the patient feels and functions.
Medical research uses lots of surrogate endpoints because they are easier to measure and understand than patient happiness and function. The science of how to measure patient happiness and function is a main focus of outcomes research.
Outcomes research studies use patient questionnaires that have been tested to make sure they reflect the patient experience and functioning in relation to the disease that they have. Most outcomes research questionnaires have specific domains of questions. Several examples of these domains might include, physical functioning, emotional functioning, social interactions, caregiver concerns, and or bodily pain.
Since outcomes research relies on the patient telling us how they feel, it is important that a patient how has consented to participate in an outcomes research study, to complete all the questions at each time they are asked to do so.
The patient’s experience with their disease and their treatment are key components to the practice of evidence-based medicine. Patient concerns and how well those concerns are addressed by their healthcare provider drive health care costs. Therefore, quality clinical care that has its roots in outcomes research should result in happy patients with good results at decreased cost.
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