Optimal outcome measures, research priorities, and international cooperation

The participants in the Eriksholm Workshop on "Measuring Outcomes in Audiol ogical Rehabilitation Using Hearing Aids" debated three issues that are rep orted in this article. First, it was agreed that the characteristics of an optimal outcome measure vary as a function of the purpose of the measuremen t. Potential characteristics of outcome self-report tools for four common g oals of outcome measurement are briefly presented to illustrate this point. Second, 10 important research priorities in outcome measurement were ident ified and ranked. They are presented with brief discussion of the top five. Third, the concept of generating a brief universally applicable outcome me asure was endorsed. This brief data set is intended to supplement existing outcome measures and to promote data combination and comparison across diff erent social, cultural, and health-care delivery systems. A set of seven co re items is proposed for further study.