Research

Clinimetrics is a methodological discipline that focusses on the quality of measurement in medical and health care research. The quality of measurement includes both the quality of the measurement instruments and the quality of the performance of the actual measurements

 

We aim to play a leading role in methodological research on clinimetrics and outcome measurement. Search Pubmed on papers by HCW de Vet, CB Terwee, or LB Mokkink to find our most recent methodological papers.

 

We aim to stimulate researchers to perform research on the quality of the measurement instruments that they use in their studies. Such research is often desired because many measurement instruments are insufficiently validated in Dutch patients, or in specific (research) populations. Validation studies can often be performed with limited effort within clinical or other studies. We collaborate with many researchers in different fields of medical and health care research.

 

There is a need for more high quality systematic reviews of measurement properties of measurement instruments. These are reviews in which the content and measurement properties of all measurement instruments that aim to measure a particular concept, are critically appraised and compared. Systematic reviews of measurement properties are useful tools for selecting a measurement instrument for a certain purpose. In addition, it are useful tools to identify measurement instruments that need further validation.

 

There are insufficient systematic reviews of measurement instruments available in the literature and the available reviews are not always of good quality. The Knowledgecenter Measurement Instruments aims to stimulate and assist researchers in performing systematic reviews of measurement properties, especially in fields were many instruments exist for assessing a particular concept.

 

Click here to find the COSMIN database of published systematic reviews of measurement properties of measurement instruments that intend to measure (aspects of) health status or (health-related) quality of life. You can find more information on the methodology of systematic reviews of measurement properties on the COSMIN website, including search filters for use in systematic reviews of measurement properties.

 

One of our most important projects is COSMIN. COSMIN is the acronym for COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments. COSMIN is an international group of researchers who aim to improve the selection of health measurement instruments. As part of this initiative, consensus was reached among a large group of international experts on a taxonomy and definitions of measurement properties, as well as standards for how these measurement properties should be assessed. These standards were included in a checklist for assessing the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties. This checklist can be used in systematic review of measurement properties to assess the quality of the included studies.

 

A second important project is our work on the translation, validation, and implementation of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS). PROMIS is a set of person-centered measures that evaluates and monitors physical, mental, and social health in adults and children. It can be used with the general population and with individuals living with chronic conditions. We are the leaders of the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS National Center, which aims to translate, validate, and implement PROMIS in the Netherlands and Flanders.

 

We stimulate and participate in the development of Core Outcome Sets (COS), which are agreed sets of outcomes and outcome measurement instruments that should be measured and reporting in all clinical trials of a specific condition. We founded the OMERACT initiative and collaborate with the COMET initiative which aims to develope methodology and bring together researchers interested in the development and application of COS.

Similar kind of Standard Sets are being developed for clinical practice, by the ICHOM initiative.