In spite of many substantial advances in knowledge, there remains a significant number of important disorders in the clinical areas included in the NIDCD mandate for which the etiology and pathophysiology are poorly understood and treatment methods lack scientifically validated proof of effectiveness. This state of relative nescience is due in part to the well-known chronic shortage of clinical investigators in Otolaryngology- Head and Neck Surgery (OTO-HNS), and to the inherent difficulties in obtaining support for clinical research. The emerging methodology for outcomes research (OR) has opened a new opportunity for clinically relevant research in OTO-HNS. Developed in non-surgical disciplines, the use of OR in surgical fields such as OTO-HNS is just becoming evident. The chief impediment to this process has been the lack of trained clinical investigators in OTO-HNS generally and in OR in particular. OR methods integrate traditional objective measures with validated subjective outcomes instruments to achieve a more comprehensive assessment of treatment effectiveness. This conference proposes to enhance the application of OR in OTO-HNS. Through participation in the lectures, seminars, and workshops the attendees will learn the basic methodology and different types of OR, become familiar with the uses and limitations of each type, identify possible sources of collaboration within their institutions, acquire information about how to receive training in OR, and define the clinical opportunities for OR. An increase in the in the amount and quality of OR in OTO-HNS and an increase in the number of new NIH funded investigators are the intended outcomes of this conference.
