Assessing Outcomes in Body Contouring

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments are questionnaires designed to measure outcomes of importance to patients from their perspective. This article describes the methods used to develop a new PRO instrument for obese patients and patients having bariatric and cosmetic body contouring surgery. The BODY-Q is composed of 19 newly designed scales that measure: (1) appearance; (2) health-related quality of life; and (3) process of care. Recommended guidelines for PRO instrument development were followed to ensure that the BODY-Q meets requirements of regulatory bodies. The BODY-Q is currently being field-tested in an international study.