What is the difference between research outcomes and clinical outcomes? What is the difference between research outcomes and clinical outcomes?
Broadly, research outcomes are those that help assess the effectiveness of an intervention at a population level, while clinical outcomes help assess the effectiveness of an intervention for an individual patient. Some measures are designed for diagnostic purposes (e.g., Beck Depression Index) to help identify health problems in a clinical setting but may also be used to establish inclusion criteria in a research setting. Other measures are used almost exclusively to determine the effectiveness of an intervention in a research capacity (e.g., Profile of Mood States). Health care workers who are not involved in research should be aware of what these measures are so that they can interpret research findings for clinical relevance. Researchers should know the strengths, limitations and validity of tools used in their studies to ensure clinical relevance.
