Functional outcomes

Abstract

Measurement of functional outcome following injuries is a central tool in the assessment of the human and economic costs of injury, as well as the development and evaluation of programs and policies to improve outcomes following injury. A well-designed outcome measurement plan improves the quality of injury control research, minimizes study participant burden, and maximizes opportunities for future secondary data analyses. However, a key challenge in the development of a study measurement plan is the identification of appropriate, practical, well-validated measures. In this chapter, we review the major theoretical and practical issues in choosing functional outcome measures. Any discussion of the measurement of functional outcomes must include a review of the International Classification of Function (ICF), which has been created to provide a universal language for disability research. Using this framework, this chapter reviews the concepts of validity, reliability, and responsiveness for the measurement of impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions following injury.