Outcomes research: getting started, defining outcomes, a framework, and data sources.

As key providers of care and as participants in systems delivering care, APNs are in ideal positions to explore, identify, measure, and evaluate patient outcomes. This article has provided an overview of some of the basic knowledge and skills required to undertake outcome studies. Through the application of these basic principles, the beginning APN can start to explore patient outcomes via quality improvement activities. With mastery and expansion of these principles, the expert APN can easily progress into outcomes research studies, which provide substantive contributions to the outcomes research agenda.