Fundamentals of Social Sciences

Social Science Research

Within any healthcare paradigm, clinical outcomes are the desired effect of medical treatment. In many cases, assessment is too often placed into a template that is completely synonymous with testing, and diagnosis with testing scores. This may be a misguided paradigm for the modern medical paradigm since there are so many proven links between assessment and intervention planning. In fact, employing an evidence-based and best practices approach in assessment becomes important to glean the desired results in studying the efficacy of outcome assessment. Clinical assessment, of course, is used in all medical fields -- from general practice to psychology. In fact, it is the core basis of the modern medical model (Vlaovich-McLeod, et.al., 2008). However, in far too many cases, there is a complete overreliance on scores and not enough on the clinician and clinical judgment modeling. In a perfect world, all subtests would be identical and correlated perfectly with each other, and no capacity for individual differences between data sets. However, that is neither realistic nor tenable when working with a population of individuals. So, the very lack of perfect correlation is actual a positive and allows the clinician a richer, more robust sense of the holistic picture of the individual (See; Prifitera, et.al., 2008).

Research Variables -- Classification variables are primarily used based on outcome measures (clinician or patient based). These include, but are not limited to: clinical decision making, planning treatment, evaluation of treatment, and the manner in which outcomes measurement differs from disease or patient oriented evidence. These are dependent variables and are measured based on efficacy of responses. For instance, although clinician-based measurement is used quite often to obtain information on a patient's impairment (disability, societal limitations, quality of life, etc.), patient developed research variables from feedback are important to uncover numerous other life events that are germane to the issues at hand.

Treatment Conditions- Generally, this research is focused upon outcomes of patient and clinical outcome measures and how each individuated condition impacts the patient in his or her general life activities and interaction with society. Of particularly note, the Global Rating of Change measurement, which asks the patient to rate their impressions of change in their condition over time. This variable is important in that it effectively standardizes the different conditions into one generalized rubric in which we can more easily compare patients. Regardless of the individual issue, clinicians often rely solely on scientific (quantitative) data and ignore the qualitative data that, while not scientifically accurate 100% of the time, can often be invaluable when discussing the needs of specific patients and conditions.

Type of Research -- Use of disablement models and clinical outcomes to qualitatively and quantitatively plot conceptual models of clinical outcomes and assessment measurement tools. Essentially this is an evaluation and treatment model that is based on a specific impairment, functional loss, and attainable quality of life rather than medical diagnosis. Thus the authors use quantitative data to define a specific impairment, qualitative data combined with quantitative data for functional loss (measurable effects combined with perception of effect), and qualitative data on quality of life assessments.

Design Appropriateness- The study design, at least in this initial part, is more of a broader-based clinical research review than actual data collection. The data used was based on clinician records and statistically compared with clinical outcome data from both the clinician and patient point-of-view. In fact, it the amalgamation of the components of the disablement model and their relationship to clinical practice that becomes the overriding thesis of this material.

Evaluation and Conclusion- The logical conclusion and overall evaluation of this research does not actually come until part two of the study, in which the authors find three overall benefits to improved teaching and research tools based on outcome assessment: