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Evid Based Spine Care J 2012; 03(01): 013-017
DOI: 10.1055/s-0031-1298596
Original research
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Is there value in routine administration of outcome questionnaires?

Julie Agel
1   Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
,
Richard Bransford
1   Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
31 May 2012 (online)

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Abstract

Study design: Retrospective case-series of prospective routinely collected Short Form 36v2 (SF-36v2) data in an outpatient spine clinic.

Objective: To determine if there is value in routine administration of outcome questionnaires for the patient and/or clinician without a targeted population or monitoring of follow-up.

Method: Retrospective review of Health Outcomes Scoring database.

Results: During an 18-month period 1,863 patients completed 3,124 SF-36v2 questionnaires. The extent of diagnoses and the uneven timing of follow-ups of the completed questionnaires render this data useless both to the patient and for aggregate analysis.

Conclusion: There is no value in routine administration of outcome questionnaires to patient care or clinical research.

Final class of evidence-prognosis

Study design

 RCT

 Cohort

 Case control

 Case series

•

Methods

 Patients at similar point in course of treatment

 F/U ≥ 85%

 Similarity of treatment protocols for patient groups

•

 Patients followed up long enough for outcomes to occur

•

 Control for extraneous risk factors

NA

Overall class of evidence

IV

The definiton of the different classes of evidence is available on page 63.

 

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