ABSTRACT
Outcomes assessment has become one of the “catchwords” of the 21st century among healthcare systems. With the advent of the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) pain standards (2000), insurance company practice parameters, and state and/or federal practice guidelines (Agency for Health Care Policy Reform, 92-0032; 94-0592) outcomes assessment has become a necessary component of pain practice irrespective of practice setting. A multitude of pain outcomes instruments or outcomes systems exist, yet little guidance is offered as to how to choose an appropriate instrument or set of instruments. Indeed, a literature search on the topic of “pain treatment outcomes” yielded numerous articles reporting pain treatment results using a variety of outcome measures, but no articles focusing on how to select an appropriate outcomes method.
