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Table 1 Definitions of key concepts adapted from the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) initiative [16]

From: A core outcome set for clinical trials in whiplash-associated disorders (WAD): a study protocol

Key concept

Definition

Health condition

A situation of impaired health

Health intervention

An activity performed by, for, with or on behalf of a client(s) whose purpose is to improve individual or population health, to alter or diagnose the course of a health condition, or to improve functioning

Core area

An aspect of health or a health condition that needs to be measured to appropriately assess the effects of a health intervention

Domain

Component of core area: a concept to be measured, a further specification of an aspect of health, categorised within a core area

Outcome

Any identified result in a domain arising from exposure to a causal factor or a health intervention

Measurement instrument

A tool to measure a quality or quantity of a variable, in this context a domain or a contextual factor

Outcome measurement instrument

A measurement instrument chosen to assess outcome

Core domain set

For studies of health interventions, the minimum set of domains necessary to adequately cover all core areas, i.e. fully measure all relevant concepts of a specific health condition within a specified setting

Core outcome Measurement set

The minimum set of outcome measurement instruments that must be administered in each intervention study of a certain health condition within a specified setting to adequately cover a corresponding core domain set.

Describes how to measure

Setting (scope)

The set of factors that describes the studies and circumstances to which the core outcome measurement set will apply. This is determined by the study questions and includes the health condition(s), target population, interventions, etc.

Contextual factor

Variable that is not an outcome of the study, but needs to be recognised (and measured) to understand the study results. This includes potential confounders and effect modifiers