Contact:Megan KellerLippincott Williams & Wilkins(215) 521-8374[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SPECIAL ISSUE OF SPINE FOCUSES ON PATIENT-BASED OUTCOME MEASURESNew Recommendations for Evaluating Treatments from the Patient's Perspective
PHILADELPHIA, PA January 4, 2001 - Back pain and other spinal disorders are very common, but can pose challenging treatment problems. Part of the problem is the difficulty of determining the true effectiveness of treatments, especially in areas affecting the patient's daily activities and quality of life.
The "state of the art" in patient-based outcome measures for spinal disorders is summarized in the December 15 issue of the journal Spine. The Editor of the special issue is Dr. Claire Bombardier, Senior Scientist at the Toronto-based Institute for Work & Health.
To make recommendations, Dr. Bombardier assembled a panel of experts, including the developers of some of the most widely used outcome questionnaires. The panel believes that evaluations of treatment for spinal disorders should address five key areas: Back-specific function, or how the condition affects the patient's everyday activities; "generic" health status, or how the problem affects the patient's overall health; pain, including interference with activities; work disability, or how the problem affects the patient's employment status; and patient satisfaction with the treatment results.
For each area, the panel recommends the most appropriate outcome questionnaires. Since new outcome measures are continually being developed, the panel also presents information on how to evaluate new questionnaires.
Historically, treatments for spinal disorders have been evaluated by such measures as death rates and nerve test results. However, there is a growing focus on outcomes that are more relevant to the patient's life, such as quality of life and functional ability. Doctors now face a dizzying array of outcome questionnaires and rating scales, with little information on which measures are best suited to treatment evaluation.
Outcome measures are the most important tool clinicians, patients, and policy makers can use to learn about the effectiveness of various treatments, Dr. Bombardier believes. She and the panel hope that their recommendations will simplify the task of selecting appropriate outcome measures, thus helping to ensure that patients with spinal disorders receive the most effective treatment possible.
Recognized internationally as the leading journal in its field, Spine reports on today's most important diagnostic and therapeutic advances regarding spinal pain, deformity, and disability. Distinguished by its broad scope of coverage and emphasis on patient care, this popular biweekly has earned must-read status in the orthopaedic community. For more information, call 1-800-638-3030 or visit www.spinejournal.com.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (www.Lww.com) is a global publisher of medical, nursing and allied health information resources in book, journal, newsletter, looseleaf, and electronic media formats.
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