The pros and cons of outcomes research

1. Outcomes Research
MSN 601 Week 12 Discussion
Yashmine Ballesteros

2. What is outcomes
research?
 It measures results of interventions on
individuals.
 Its purpose is to come up with scientific
evidence connected to decisions
created by everyone who participates in
health care.
 It gives consideration to individual
preferences and values.
(Schmidt & Brown, 2016)

3. Judging Recent Outcomes Research:
The Positives
• Using appropriate tools to obtain accurate results: In
studying pain control, use the numeric rating scale.
• Choosing the appropriate outcomes that helps the patient
population served by the healthcare facility
• Selecting the right researchers for the job: They will
monitor the outcome through measurements and be
involved in implementation of treatment.
• Selecting the outcomes that serve the organization best
• Mandated reporting of healthcare agencies about specific
disease concepts and how they compare to other
organizations.
(Yordanov, et al., 2015)

4. Judging Recent Outcomes Research:
The Negatives
 Inadequate methods such as flaws in design, conduct, and
analysis can result to biased results of randomised
controlled trials and systematic reviews leading to wrong
conclusions with serious consequences to patients
 exaggerated estimates of intervention effect in trials with
inadequate sequence generation or allocation
concealment
 lack of blinding: staff being aware of which patients
received which treatments
 exclusion of patients from analyses
(Yordanov, et al., 2015)

5. Other wasteful aspects of outcomes research
 Poor reporting of study methods or results in the published paper
and failure to present all relevant elements needed to assess the
validity of the methods and results.
 A lack of communication between methodologists, statisticians,
and health researchers in the planning, conduct, and analysis of
research studies
 Research that resulted in short-term outcomes. How can a new
innovation be adopted if we don’t know its long term effects?
 Conclusions must not be drawn beyond gathered information
 Using inappropriate or limited indicators when assessing an
outcome
(Yordanov, et al., 2015)

6. References
Schmidt, N. A. & Brown, J. M. (2015). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal and
application of research (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Yordanov, Y., Dechartres, A., Porcher, R., Boutron, I., Altman, D.G., & Ravaud, P. (2015).
Avoidable waste of research related to inadequate methods in clinical trials. The BMJ.
350.