Evidence quality
Patient-important outcome
An outcome that directly matters to patients, such as symptoms, function, admission or survival.
What it means
Definition
Patient-important outcome. Patient-important outcomes are more meaningful than distant proxies. deHype distinguishes between evidence that changes a marker and evidence that improves real health outcomes.
What it can tell you
It can help clarify what sort of evidence or claim is being discussed.
What it cannot tell you
It cannot, by itself, prove that the headline is accurate or clinically important.
Headline trap
Why this matters in headlines
Improved walking distance is generally more meaningful than a lab marker alone.