Final answer:
Health outcomes research uses patient's functional status to measure how diseases or treatments affect their daily life, thereby determining their overall health status through real-world impacts rather than solely clinical outcomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Outcomes research utilizes a patient's functional status as a key indicator of their health status, measuring how a disease or treatment affects a patient's everyday life and activities. This type of research assesses the effectiveness of health care interventions by directly observing their impact on a patient's ability to perform daily tasks, which is crucial for understanding the real-world benefits of medical treatments. For instance, a study measuring the effectiveness of a software program designed to help stroke patients regain their problem-solving skills would observe and collect data on patients' abilities to solve problems before and after using the intervention. Health outcomes, including ones like this, are influenced by various factors such as lifestyle choices, healthcare access, and environmental conditions, reflecting the complexity of assessing health and medical interventions.