The science behind quality-of-life measurement: a primer for plastic surgeons.

Plastic surgeons perform a wide range of surgical procedures that have diverse clinical goals and complex effects on patients' lives. In recent years, quality-of-life outcomes have become increasingly important to clinical practice and plastic surgery research. It is important, therefore, that plastic surgeons understand the scientific issues surrounding the appropriate development and use of questionnaires that measure quality of life; they may then directly shape how new measures are developed and used, and define the future of outcome measurement in plastic surgery.