Role of survey research in assessing rehabilitation outcomes

Survey research, although often misperceived as superficial and less scient ific than other research methodologies, is nonetheless a valid and reliable technique that physiatrists and researchers use to study a range of import ant rehabilitation outcomes. Surveys are particularly valuable for describi ng characteristics in large groups-such as the nature and extent of disabil ity within a population-or for learning about outcomes in a given sample. T hey are the preferred approach for tracking the perceptions of rehabilitati on consumers and for obtaining the data that drive service provision, progr ammatic development, and policy change. On the national, state, and local l evers, the authors describe examples of successful survey research efforts, illustrating the types of data obtained, and the usefulness of those data.