Foreword: emergence of efficiency in health outcome measurement

Abstract

Psychosocial measurement in the 21st Century is a dynamic field that is addressing challenges unthinkable even a generation ago. Sophisticated methods and modern technology has brought psychometrics to the cusp of scientific objectivity. This Foreword provides historical context and intellectual foundations for appreciating contemporary psychometric advancements, as well as a perspective on issues that are determining future advances. Efficiency in outcome measurement is one of these forces driving future advances. Efficiency, however, can easily become conflated with expediency, and neither can substitute for effectiveness. Blind efficiency runs risk of degrading measurement properties. Likewise, measurement advancement without accommodation to ordinary needs leads to practical rejection. Bouchard presents a biographical link between scientific physics and Rasch models that opened the door for fundamental psychosocial measurement. Symposium papers presented in this issue present a broad range of ideas about contemporary psychosocial measurement. Granger summarizes key ideas underlying achievement of objective, fundamental measurement. Massof, then, Stenner and Stone present alternative perspectives on scientific knowledge systems, which are prominent landmarks on the psychometric horizon. Fisher and Burton describe fundamental measurement methodology in diagnosis and implementation of technology, which will consolidate isolated and redundant constructs in PROMIS. Hart presents an overview on computer adaptive testing, which is the vanguard in health outcome measurement. Kisala and Tulsky present a qualitative strategy that is improving sensitivity and validity of new outcome measures. Their diversity reflects an intense competition of ideas about solving measurement problems. Their collection together in this special issue is a milestone and tribute to scientific ingenuity.