Methods and Designs for Outcomes Research

Outcomes research seeks to understand the end results of particular health care practices and interventions. By linking the care patients receive to the outcomes they experience, outcomes research has become the key to developing better ways to monitor and improve the quality of care.<BR />  

<I>Methods and Designs for Outcomes Research </I>introduces clinical professionals and students to common statistical methods and study designs used in pharmacoepidemiology and outcomes research, as well as issues related to the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of results of clinical trials and outcomes studies.<BR /><BR /> Each chapter focuses on the interpretation of results, providing a framework that the reader can use to better understand and assess research as they decide whether to incorporate the findings within their practices.

<B>Elinor C. Gray Chumney, PhD, MSC </B>received her BA in economics from Davidson College in 1995 and her MSc in health economics from the University of York in England in 1998. Dr. Chumney went on to earn her PhD in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002. She joined the faculty of the Medical University of South Carolina’s College of Pharmacy upon graduation. In 2007, she was promoted to associate professor and assistant dean of student affairs at Belmont University’s School of Pharmacy. Dr. Chumney has published over 60 research manuscripts, book chapters, review articles, and abstracts in addition to her editorship of Methods and Designs for Outcomes Research.
 
<B>Kit N. Simpson, Dr.P.H.</B> is Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Administration and Policy, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.