Conference on Improving Health Outcomes Assessment Based on Modern Measurement Theory and Computerized Adaptive Testing

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Drug Information Association (DIA) co-sponsored a conference, "Advances in Health Outcomes Measurement: Exploring the Current State and the Future of Item Response Theory, Item Banks, and Computer-Adaptive Testing." This conference, held June 24 - 25, 2004, at the Bethesda Hyatt, focused on new, innovative techniques for patient-reported outcomes assessment based on item response theory (IRT) modeling. Of special interest was an open discussion among representatives of public and private organizations on the utility of developing and supporting public domain item banks and computerized adaptive tests (CATs) for measuring key health domains such as physical functioning, emotional well-being, fatigue, and pain. See the conference program, summary papers, and presentations for more information.

Members of the conference scientific program committee (SPC) included experts in health outcomes, behavioral science and psychometrics from academia, industry and government. The SPC goals for the conference were to provide an open forum to discuss both the strengths and limitations of IRT methodology and to outline a research agenda for the future of health outcomes measurement.

An introductory IRT workshop taught by Dr. Steve Reise, UCLA, was offered the day prior to the start of the conference.

Each conference speaker has written a brief summary paper that discusses the important issues for the topic they presented at the conference. Speakers' papers and the accompaning presentations can be viewed and downloaded at Conference Program and Summary Papers.