Outcome instruments for the shoulder

Outcome surveys may play a vital role in the future of orthopaedics. Institutions may increasingly look toward determining the effectiveness of treatment options, but different validation studies often yield different results. There is a clear need for consistency when reporting patient-reported outcome scores. Knowledge of the available outcome scores and their strengths and weaknesses will allow orthopaedic surgeons to practice evidence-based medicine, offer their patients the most appropriate treatments, and successfully navigate the increasingly complex reimbursement system. Orthopaedic surgeons will need to show conclusively that their procedures improved patient outcomes and were cost-effective. We conducted a review of upper extremity outcome systems commonly used in the shoulder and their scoring and validation.