Fowler F J, Cleary P D, Magaziner J, Patrick D L, Benjamin K L
Center for Survey Research, University of Massachusetts, Boston 02125.
Med Care. 1994 Jul;32(7 Suppl):JS65-76.
The primary goal of the Inter-PORT work group on Outcomes Assessment is to foster methodological knowledge about the implications of various measure and design decisions for studies of the outcomes of treatment. A number of key methodological issues currently are unresolved and are in need of further study. These include: 1) the best questions to ask to assess how patients are affected by their treatments; 2) the comparative advantages of various study designs, including prospective cohorts, retrospective studies, and randomized clinical trials; 3) the way data collection decisions, such as mode of data collection and use of proxy respondents, affect study results; and 4) the best way to assess the significance of observed effects from patient, provider, and public policy perspectives. Studies conducted by the Patients Outcomes Research Teams (PORTs) are using diverse designs, measures, and data collection procedures. They provide a unique opportunity to further knowledge about methods of obtaining information about treatment outcomes. Through meetings, conferences, and publications, the Inter-PORT work group on Outcomes Assessment is trying to stimulate analyses aimed at methodological issues summarized in this paper and to ensure that new knowledge about methods is disseminated to a wide audience.
PORT间疗效评估工作组的主要目标是促进有关各种测量和设计决策对治疗结果研究影响的方法学知识。目前，一些关键的方法学问题尚未得到解决，需要进一步研究。这些问题包括：1）评估患者如何受到治疗影响的最佳问题；2）各种研究设计的比较优势，包括前瞻性队列研究、回顾性研究和随机临床试验；3）数据收集决策（如数据收集方式和使用代理受访者）影响研究结果的方式；4）从患者、医疗服务提供者和公共政策角度评估观察到的效果显著性的最佳方法。患者疗效研究团队（PORTs）进行的研究采用了多样的设计、测量方法和数据收集程序。它们为进一步了解获取治疗结果信息的方法提供了独特的机会。通过会议、研讨会和出版物，PORT间疗效评估工作组试图推动针对本文总结的方法学问题进行分析，并确保有关方法的新知识能传播给广大受众。
