Author Description

Recently, patient self-reports have become important measures in assessing treatment effectiveness, especially for patients with chronic, incurable diseases. This manual describes self-administered patient questionnaires that were developed for patients participating in the Medical Outcomes Study, a multi-year, nonexperimental study of variations in physician practice styles and patient outcomes in three different systems of care: health maintenance organizations, large multi-specialty groups, and solo fee-for-service practice. These questionnaires may help an investigator or clinician gather reliable information about patient health, save time and money in obtaining this information, obtain information that could not otherwise be obtained, determine the effectiveness of alternative treatments, and assess the course of health over time. This manual is a companion to A.L. Stewart and J. E. Ware, eds., Measuring Functioning and Well-Being: The Medical Outcomes Study Approach, Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1992.