Measuring outcomes

[Dieter Fellner]

What is the best system for evaluating surgical outcomes?

[Craig Payne]

For research you can't go past the FHSQ (Foot Health Status Questionnaire) as this not only measures foot pain, but also foot QoL and the affect of foot pain on general QoL.

Both the American Foot and Ankle Orthopedic Association and the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons have published outcome measures for foot surgery in their respective journals..... I am not overly impressed with the validity work done on them to date.

[Dieter Fellner]

Craig

Thanks for the post- Where can I see this ?

[Craig Payne]

Here are two refs (I have some more buired away):

Paul J. Bennett, Carla Patterson, and Michael P. Dunne
Health-Related Quality of Life Following Podiatric Surgery (http://www.japmaonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/4/164)
J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2001 91: 164-173.

PJ Bennett, C Patterson, S Wearing, and T Baglioni
Development and validation of a questionnaire designed to measure foot-health status (http://www.japmaonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/88/9/419) J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1998 88: 419-428

Paul is the one on the right in the mug shot for the caption competition (http://www.podiatry-arena.com/podiatry-forum/showthread.php?t=139) - feel free to make him the butt of some more jokes :p

[Ian Reilly]

Dieter

I agree with Craig – I like the Bennet system.

Also look at FAI Vol 25, no 8 – Aug 2004 for a review of outcome scales

Ian

[Dawn Bacon]

Ian,
I am not familiar with FAI journal. What is it and how does one access it?
Thanks,
Polly

[Craig Payne]

FAI Vol 25, no 8 – Aug 2004 (http://www.newslettersonline.com/user/user.fas/s=563/fp=20/tp=37?T=open_summary,841416&P=summary)

[Ian Reilly]

Sorry Polly

Foot and Ankle International - the Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle journal. Available on-line via subscription... or printed of course…

Ian

[podrick]

i would like to agree with some of comments being made with regards to the questionaire being put out by the amercican college of foot surgeons,of which i am a member.it can't be applied as a standard in private practice.
foot surgery is a very individualistic practice,tailored to the single patient's medical,and social criteria.the acfs questionaire was designed by academia to be administred in residency programs on a large scale.
remember,success is really measured in the perception of the patient,and so is reality for that matter.how many of you have had a poor result,only to have the patient return and tell you"i want you to do this foot now,the same way you did the first one."

[Craig Payne]

I just found that Paul has a website for the Foot Health Status Questionnaire:
http://www.fhsq.homestead.com/