International Conference on Objective Measurement: Focus on Health Care

The Outcomes Research Branch (ORB) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) jointly sponsored an international conference on objective measurement organized by the Institute for Objective Measurement. The conference was held on October 19 - 20, 2001, in Chicago, Illinois.

While objective measurement, also referred to as Rasch or Item Response Theory measurement, has been developed and applied extensively in the field of education, its applications in health care have been relatively limited. This conference was devoted to expanding objective measurement to health care applications. It was designed to provide a forum for objective measurement practitioners to exchange scientific and research information. The organizers also aimed to reach out to potential partners who might use the work of the Institute for Objective Measurement in making decisions and providing more efficient measurement practice. The conference featured many opportunities for open discussion about measurement issues with a focus on health care, and concluded with a panel discussion on implications and future directions for the improvement of measurement, management, and policy in health.

Outcomes Research Branch chief Joseph Lipscomb participated in this panel discussion, and staff psychometrician Bryce Reeve participated in a session on "Item response theory in health outcomes and cancer care research." Participants in this conference included representatives of several public and private US institutions, such as AHRQ, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Veterans Affairs, universities, and health care systems. Representatives from Canada, Australia, and several European, Latin American, and Asian countries also participated.